EnerQuality Announces EQ 2014 Awards Finalists

EnerQuality, the Canadian housing industry’s top certifier of energy efficient homes, just announced their 2014 Hall of Fame Award and released the list of finalists for the EQ 2014 Awards.

It’s interesting that the Canada Green Building Council – Greater Toronto Chapter just hosted their first Green Homes Summit, and EnerQuality is celebrating 10 years of the ENERGY STAR program. The Green Homes Summit was about raising awareness about sustainable building practices, and the EQ Awards is one way that the industry is recognized for its innovative approaches to building environmentally-friendly homes. Perhaps the EQ Awards should be a bigger deal in the GTA so that homebuyers are aware of which builders and developers are building with the future in mind. And that’s exactly why we’re sharing this news with you right now!

Last year, 32% of the new homes built in Ontario were ENERGY STAR qualified, meaning that they are 20% more efficient than the Building Code requires. A major player in the development of ENERGY STAR homes is Mattamy Homes, which is why Peter Gilgan, Founder and CEO, is being awarded the Hall of Fame Award. As one of Canada’s most prominent philanthropists and the reason Mattamy was one of the first builders to get involved in the ENERGY STAR program, Gilgan has made a long lasting impact on the industry’s approach and belief in creating more energy efficient communities.

Peter Gilgan at the naming ceremony of the Gilgan Centre in Toronto

“We are extremely proud to present this year’s EnerQuality Hall of Fame award to Peter Gilgan,” says Corey McBurney, president of EnerQuality. “Real leaders are defined as much by what they do as what they are able to influence others to do. Peter’s commitment to building ENERGY STAR homes combined with Mattamy’s market leadership has moved the home building industry as a whole forward.”

In the past, Mattamy has been awarded ENERGY STAR New Homes Builder of the Year (large volume) twice, and also received the award for Best Green Marketing Campaign. The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) has awarded Mattamy Home Builder of the Year five times in the last decade, and the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) has graced them with the same honour three times in the last five years.

“All Mattamy communities are thoughtfully planned and for us that extends to ensuring the homes we build are as energy efficient as possible, meeting the needs of all our stakeholders,” says Gilgan. “Sustainability is an important consideration for our purchasers, the communities where we build and for Canada as a whole. I’m proud of the leadership our family at Mattamy has shown in helping green building become more the standard, and hope the industry remains committed to building high-quality energy-efficient homes through progressive programs such as ENERGY STAR.”

The EQ 2014 Awards Finalists

ENERGY STAR for New Homes Builder of the Year

Minto Group Inc. - Large

Empire Communities - Large

Tamarack Homes - Mid

Eastforest Homes Ltd - Mid

Urbandale Construction - Mid

Arista Homes - Mid

Castleform Developments Inc. - small

RND Construction - Small

Doug Tarry Homes Ltd. - Small

Midhaven Homes - Small

Building Innovation

Doug Tarry Homes Ltd.

Seaman & Sons

Brookfield Residential

Arista Homes

Eastforest Homes Ltd.

ENERGY STAR for New homes Champion of the Year

Al Schmidt A&J Energy Consultants

Roy Nandram RND Construction

Ron Protocky Arista Homes

Evaluator of the Year

John Godden, Clearsphere

Andrew Oding, Building Knowledge Canada Inc.

Ontario Green Builder of the Year

Minto Group Inc.

Midhaven Homes Ltd.

Empire Communities

Yorkwood Homes

Brookfield Homes

Eastforest Homes

Green Renovation Project of the Year

Coleman-Dias3 Construction Inc.

Sloot Construction

All Angles Renovations Ltd.

Best Green Marketing Campaign

Minto Group Inc.

Empire Communities

Feature image: Minto Longbranch