EneerQuality recognizes energy efficient home building at 2020 EQ Awards

Ontario Construction News

EnerQuality recognized several builders, utilities and industry suppliers with its 2020 EQ Awards at an online ceremony on Nov. 30.

“After another year of growth and innovation, leaders in the Ontario building industry celebrated and recognized their collective successes, achievements of their peers, and special projects demonstrating the best of home building,”the organization said in a statement.

The year 2020 represented a record for certifying energy efficient homes, “with the year’s additions reaching a total of more than 100,000 homes certified to date as delivering the benefits of the ENERGY STAR label – built more than 15% better than the building code,” EnerQuality asserted.

“Net Zero and Net Zero Ready homes are also contributing to steady growth in energy efficient buildings. In building energy efficient homes to established certifications – including ENERGY STAR, EnerGuide and Net Zero – EnerQuality’s community of builders has helped Ontario homeowners save $258 million in lifetime energy costs, reduce over 1 MT of C02e (carbon dioxide equivalent), and shrink greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental footprint.”

The event also recognized the OHBA and EnerQuality team on the 100th job placement in the OBHA Job Ready Program, which matches  job seekers from underrepresented groups with starter jobs in the construction industry – jobs from general construction labour to pre-trades roles and office positions supporting builders, manufacturers, and service companies.

Employees receive basic safety training and construction industry orientation and employers provide on-the-job training to introduce participants to a career in the construction industry.

“Ontario builders are committed to building better. Hiring job seekers with transferable skills who are eager to learn on the job is also part of building better,” says Monica Curtis, EnerQuality’s president and CEO. “By building more efficient homes and hiring a more representative workforce, the province’s construction industry is meeting the twin challenges of environmental sustainability and diversity and inclusion.”

In its second year as a virtual event during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 200 building professionals joined the event online, representing HBAs, municipalities, and over 100 companies, including home builders, architects, engineers, energy advisors, building officials, tradespeople, manufacturers, and product and service providers.

This year’s event featured the Innovation Gauntlet – a pitch session where manufacturers present their new solutions to optimize the high-performance new construction and renovation industry — and attendees voted on the most innovative new solution.

“Builders are committed to building better and creating innovative, energy-efficient homes they are proud of, and homeowners seek out,” says Rose Benedetto, EnerQuality’s managing director. “This drive is matched by the ability of leading manufacturers to anticipate the market direction, as shown by the finalists in the Innovation Gauntlet.”

The event draws nominations from across the building industry, with representation from builders, licensed professionals, and energy advisors from more than a dozen Ontario HBAs. The winners also show a cross-section of the building industry with newer builders alongside established, generational building companies.

“Increasingly, homeowners’ consciousness about their environmental footprint shapes their housing priorities,” Curtis said. “The EQ Awards showcase how the industry is building homes that use less energy, are more comfortable, with better indoor air quality and lower emissions overall. As the market shifts to focus on carbon, we expect to see even more builders certifying their homes and building better than code.”

2020 EQ Award Winners include:

  • Best Green Marketing: Terra View Homes
  • Builder Achievement: Doug Tarry – Doug Tarry Ltd.
  • Building Innovation – Low: Far Sight Homes – Beeton Creek
  • Champion Of the Year: Marc Huminilowycz – Sideroad Communications
  • Enbridge – Optimum Home: Mattamy Homes Canada
  • Enbridge – Savings by Design (Affordable): Spotlight Developments Inc.
  • Enbridge – Savings by Design (Commercial): Drewlo Holdings
  • Enbridge – Savings by Design (Residential): Dietrich Homes
  • Energy Advisor of The Year: Huso Ashimi – Building Knowledge Canada
  • EnerQuality’s ENERGY STAR For New Homes – Large Volume Builder: Activa
  • EnerQuality’s ENERGY STAR For New Homes – Mid Volume Builder: Huron Creek Developments
  • EnerQuality’s ENERGY STAR For New Homes – Small/Custom Builder: Terra View Homes
  • Green Renovation Project of The Year: RND Construction Ltd. – Art Deco
  • HBA of the Year: Durham Region HBA
  • Impact Award: Tamarack Homes
  • Leader of the Year: Susan Cudahy – Enbridge Gas Inc.
  • Licensed Professional of The Year: Wil Beardmore – Bluewater Energy
  • Net Zero Builder: Terra View Homes – Hart Village
  • Ontario Green Builder of The Year – Low-Rise: Minto Communities Canada
  • Ontario Green Builder of The Year – Mid/High-Rise: Doug Tarry Ltd.
  • Product Innovation – Low-Rise (OBC Part 9): Panasonic Canada Inc. – Nanoe™ X Technology
  • Product Innovation – High-Rise (OBC Part 3): SageGlass – Sageglass Harmony
  • Rising Star Award: Austin Todd – Evergreen Building Science
  • People’s Choice: Great Gulf
  • Innovation Gauntlet: Panasonic Canada Inc. and Swidget Corporation – Panasonic and Swidget Smart Ventilation Solution

Susan Cudahy received the 2020 Leader of the Year award, recognizing,  an individual or company for their commitment, advocacy and leadership in driving the growth of energy efficient housing in Ontario in 2020. Cuhady leads the residential new construction team at Enbridge, where she is the supervisor of Strategic Builder Relations.

“This is an incredible honour to be nominated for this award and one that I truly would not have received without the full support of Enbridge Gas and our entire Residential New Construction team,” Cuhady said in a statement.

“We were so pleased that we could take a challenging situation like the pandemic and turn it into a province-wide opportunity to advance the training and education of our builders. We are very proud of the Enbridge support we provided to our training associations to assist them in adapting, shifting and changing to meet the needs of the new environment we all found ourselves in. Together we were able to create a positive opportunity that has increased Builder Energy Efficiency Certifications and offered new insights and learnings into the art of advanced building science.”

Meanwhile, Tamarack Developments Corp was recognized with the 2020 Impact Award. “This EnerQuality-selected award is given to a builder that has made significant long-term voluntary progress in reducing carbon emissions and showed outstanding achievements through energy efficiency and sustainable practices,” the statement said.

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