ENERGY STAR® Recognition Awards Presentation
Wednesday, May 11, 2005, 7:00 p.m.
Fairmont Château Laurier
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Opening Remarks by Neil MacLeod, Director General
Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada
Introduction of ENERGY STAR Recognition Awards by Neil MacLeod
Order of Presentation of the Recognition Awards
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ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year
Whirlpool Canada Inc.
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ENERGY STAR Retailer of the Year
Centennial Windows Ltd.
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ENERGY STAR Utility of the Year
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro)
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ENERGY STAR Promotional Campaign of the Year
SaskEnergy
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ENERGY STAR Promotional Campaign of the Year
Manitoba Hydro
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ENERGY STAR Participant of the Year
Sears Canada Inc.
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ENERGY STAR Advocate of the Year
Home Depot Canada
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ENERGY STAR Recruit of the Year
Corbeil Appliances
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ENERGY STAR Collaborative Initiative of the Year
Hydro-Québec
Whirlpool Canada Inc. – ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year
Whirlpool Canada Inc. has been a proud and committed ENERGY STAR participant from the program's inception in Canada, helping consumers across the country save energy and money and reduce their personal greenhouse gas emissions. The company's ongoing efforts to increase awareness of ENERGY STAR and boost the sale of qualified products have earned Whirlpool Canada the ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year Award for the second time in three years.
As the manufacturer of KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Inglis, Roper and Admiral appliances, as well as Kenmore appliances for Sears, Whirlpool Canada endeavours to ensure that consumers have easy and affordable access to a wide range of ENERGY STAR qualified products. The company has been particularly successful in meeting the ENERGY STAR criteria for built-in dishwashers, but manufactures ENERGY STAR compliant products in all relevant appliance categories.
Whirlpool Canada has also shown an uncommon commitment to retail sales training. In addition to offering in-person training on how to sell ENERGY STAR qualified products, Whirlpool Canada estimates that 4000 retail salespeople have taken advantage of the company's online product training program.
Throughout 2004, Whirlpool Canada invested heavily in television advertising, point-of-purchase materials, product literature and Web-based promotions of ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. The results speak for themselves: the proportion of ENERGY STAR qualified major appliances sold by Whirlpool Canada increased from 40.3 percent of total sales in 2003 to 52.6 percent in 2004. Whirlpool Canada estimates that its customers saved 113.6 million kWh of electricity in 2004 by selecting ENERGY STAR qualified products – enough to power 9500 homes for a year – and prevented about 12 300 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Centennial Windows Ltd. – ENERGY STAR Retailer of the Year
Centennial Windows Ltd. has long advocated independent third-party labelling as a means of promoting energy efficiency to consumers, so it should come as no surprise that the company has become an enthusiastic supporter – and user – of the ENERGY STAR symbol.
After being named ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year in 2004, new ideas for marketing ENERGY STAR began to emerge from across the company, whose employees take great pride in the fact that every product they manufacture meets the highest level of ENERGY STAR criteria and qualifies for installation anywhere in Canada, including the far North.
Among the more innovative marketing strategies adopted by the company was a pilot project that offers customers of Union Gas in southwestern Ontario a $50 rebate on utility bills for every ENERGY STAR qualified window they purchase from Centennial Windows. Only four months into the program, Union Gas customers had qualified for rebates of almost $150,000 from Centennial Windows – some homeowners were even able to eliminate their gas bills for an entire heating season by taking advantage of this promotion.
The company's commitment to ENERGY STAR doesn't end there. In 2004, Centennial Windows purchased 10 000 lawn signs showing the ENERGY STAR symbol, which is also displayed on its installation trucks. Sales staff received training on ENERGY STAR, and all retail showrooms were provided with banners and signage promoting Centennial's participation in the program. The company's product brochures were updated to include information about ENERGY STAR, and Centennial Windows produced television commercials and print materials that drew additional attention to ENERGY STAR.
In short, every time a consumer walks into a Centennial showroom, reads company literature, visits the company's Web site, sees a Centennial truck on the road or talks to a salesperson, they are exposed to the ENERGY STAR message.
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) – ENERGY STAR Utility of the Year
BC Hydro's continued leadership in transforming the market towards increased energy efficiency – and its proactive use of the ENERGY STAR symbol to get the job done – has earned the utility its third consecutive ENERGY STAR Recognition Award. This year, BC Hydro is being recognized especially for its efforts to increase awareness and use of energy-efficient lighting products.
The utility's Power Smart campaign to break down market barriers to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) by distributing sample ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs to residential and small business customers has expanded the market for these products in B.C. and contributed to a drop in the price of CFLs by more than half over the past three years. The campaign entered a new phase in the fall of 2004, with the introduction of rebate coupons (in cooperation with manufacturers, retailers and government departments) to encourage consumers to more actively seek out and purchase energy-efficient lighting products. Although the pilot program was only in place for a short period of time, more than 18 000 CFL coupons were redeemed.
Power Smart's fall lighting program also included rebate coupons for seasonal light-emitting diodes (SLEDs) and CFL torchieres (CFTs). Preliminary estimates for SLED sales indicate that more than 1.5 million strings were sold during the 2004 holiday season, accounting for 40 percent of all SLED sales in Canada. CFTs, which require only 55 watts of electricity to produce the same amount of light as a 150-W incandescent bulb, are also gaining market share in the province. BC Hydro is hopeful that expanded sales of these innovative technologies will lead to the development of new ENERGY STAR categories in Canada for SLEDs and CFTs.
BC Hydro previously won the ENERGY STAR Utility of the Year Award in 2003 and was the ENERGY STAR Participant of the Year in 2004.
SaskEnergy – ENERGY STAR Promotional Campaign of the Year
Building on the success of earlier promotions to encourage Saskatchewan homeowners to purchase energy-efficient residential heating systems, SaskEnergy re-launched the ENERGY STAR Loan Event in the fall of 2004. The creative and highly visible promotion of this program has helped Saskatchewan achieve the highest levels of ENERGY STAR awareness in Canada.
The ENERGY STAR Loan Event offered prime rate loans on approved credit for the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified furnaces and boilers between September 1, 2004, and March 31, 2005. SaskEnergy and Natural Resources Canada jointly bought down the cost of the loans by an average of $300 per customer. The 138 members of the SaskEnergy Network of independent natural gas retailers and contractors actively promoted the loan event through television, print and radio advertising that focussed on the benefits of upgrading to ENERGY STAR qualified heating equipment.
By December 31, 2004, 864 customers had taken advantage of the latest financing offer, bringing to close to 10 000 the number of Saskatchewan homeowners who have upgraded to more energy-efficient heating equipment in the past four years.
With the support of numerous partners, SaskEnergy's innovative loan incentive programs have made a significant contribution to increasing the sale of ENERGY STAR qualified heating equipment. Saskatchewan homeowners are benefiting, but the big winner is the Canadian environment.
SaskEnergy also won the award for ENERGY STAR Promotional Campaign of the Year in 2004.
Manitoba Hydro – ENERGY STAR Promotional Campaign of the Year
Manitoba Hydro's Power Smart Compact Fluorescent Lighting Program has lofty goals – to increase penetration of CFLs to six units in every Manitoba residence over the next five years, resulting in annual energy savings of up to $2.8 million for the utility's customers and greenhouse gas reductions of nearly 30 000 tonnes. If early results are any indication, the program is well on its way to success.
Launched in September 2004, the program includes semi-annual (spring and fall) promotional campaigns to create awareness of energy-efficient CFLs and, in partnership with manufacturers and retailers, to offer incentives for purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs. As well, Manitoba Hydro customers who sign up for an EnerGuide for Houses energy evaluation automatically receive two complementary CFLs as part of their Power Smart Kit. Other special initiatives undertaken from time to time include customized promotions for seniors and for customers living in remote northern communities.
In the program's first promotional campaign in the fall of 2004, homeowners were enticed with a "buy one, get two free" promotion offered through 100 retail locations across the province. More than 21 500 customers participated in the campaign, which distributed close to 140 000 CFLs – surpassing the year one target by 47 percent. By January 31, 2005, an additional 1874 complementary CFLs had been distributed through EnerGuide for Houses.
In a follow-up survey after the fall 2004 campaign, 93 percent of participating homeowners indicated they had installed one or more CFLs, and 87 percent reported being very satisfied with their performance. A full 71 percent of participating retailers reported a substantial increase in unit sales compared with the same time period in 2003.
Sears Canada Inc. – ENERGY STAR Participant of the Year
As one of the original members of the ENERGY STAR program in Canada, Sears Canada Inc. was an early leader in helping consumers identify and purchase energy-efficient products that are good for the economy and the environment. Its ongoing commitment to all aspects of the program – from expanding the availability of qualified products to enhancing the visibility of the ENERGY STAR symbol – has earned Sears Canada the ENERGY STAR Participant of the Year Award for 2005.
Sears Canada's commitment to ENERGY STAR is comprehensive. The company's exclusive Kenmore line of appliances features a range of models that qualify for the ENERGY STAR symbol; in fact, the entire line of Kenmore air conditioners and dehumidifiers now meet the ENERGY STAR criteria for these products. And all ENERGY STAR qualified products are made available across Canada through the country's most extensive multi-channel retail network. The company is proud to say that if you live in Canada, you can buy an ENERGY STAR qualified appliance from Sears!
Sears Canada has undertaken many marketing and sales initiatives to increase awareness of ENERGY STAR. For example, qualified products are clearly and prominently labelled in stores, on the company's Web site, in the Sears catalogue and in weekly national advertising campaigns and flyers, reaching millions of homes in Canada. Sears Canada's sales associates receive regular ENERGY STAR training, and the company is now taking steps to ensure that all ENERGY STAR qualified products are offered at the same price as comparable non-qualifying products.
This is the second ENERGY STAR Recognition Award for Sears Canada Inc.; the company was named ENERGY STAR Retailer of the Year in 2003.
Home Depot Canada – ENERGY STAR Advocate of the Year
With 120 stores in Canada that are visited by millions of customers each year, Home Depot Canada is well positioned to help transform the market towards increased energy efficiency. The company has embraced that challenge by becoming a leading advocate of ENERGY STAR as a tool to help consumers save energy, money and help the environment.
As part of its market transformation strategy, Home Depot Canada aggressively promotes and markets hundreds of ENERGY STAR qualified products, from compact fluorescent lights and programmable thermostats to windows and refrigerators. For example, the second annual Energy Smarts event in September 2004 encouraged consumers to visit any Home Depot store to receive discounts and information on ENERGY STAR qualified products. As well, qualified products are promoted on the company's Web site and in its print advertisements, which prominently feature the ENERGY STAR symbol and regularly reach million homes in Canada.
Home Depot Canada also organizes in-store seminars and other educational events that profile ENERGY STAR qualified products. The company works closely with many of the leading manufacturers of qualified products to help customers make informed decisions by providing ENERGY STAR information on product labels, hang-tags and in brochures. Home Depot Canada is also working with EnerQuality Corporation to promote ENERGY STAR for new homes, and is collaborating with several utilities on demand side management programs that feature ENERGY STAR qualified products.
Through its own efforts and in collaboration with others, Home Depot Canada has raised awareness of the ENERGY STAR program in Canada and improved the availability of qualified products across the country. This is the company's second ENERGY STAR Recognition Award; Home Depot Canada was named ENERGY STAR Retailer of the Year in 2004.
Corbeil Électroménagers – ENERGY STAR Recruit of the Year
It was while promoting innovation within its corporate culture that Corbeil Électroménagers became interested in showcasing energy efficiency and, more specifically, its ENERGY STAR qualified electrical appliances.
Corbeil is a Quebec company established in 1949. It currently has 27 stores (22 franchise operations and 5 corporate stores) and one liquidation centre, making it the largest chain of stores specializing in electrical appliances in Canada.
Since February 18, 2004, Corbeil Électroménagers has been promoting products bearing the international ENERGY STAR High Efficiency symbol.
Corbeil's involvement in the ENERGY STAR program involves, among other things, in-store promotions, contests, sales promotions and advertising. For example, in June 2004, during the Montréal Science Centre's energy efficiency week held at the Old Port of Montréal, Corbeil held a draw for an energy-efficient washer and dryer set. It also held a sales event advocating energy efficiency, in which consumers could save the equivalent of both sales taxes if they purchased ENERGY STAR qualified appliances.
Corbeil also sponsors the popular television program "Ma Maison RONA" ("My RONA House"), broadcast by TVA in Quebec. Program participants must renovate their homes from top to bottom and, when they choose their electrical appliances at Corbeil, are made aware of the advantages of ENERGY STAR qualified appliances.
Hydro-Québec – ENERGY STAR Collaborative Initiative of the Year
Through its umbrella energy-efficiency program called Energy Wise, Hydro-Québec has promoted the ENERGY STAR symbol. Energy Wise encourages consumers to actively make their homes more energy efficient, even in small ways, thereby contribute to everyone's well-being.
Under the Energy Wise banner, Hydro-Québec has set up several energy efficiency programs and has entered in partnerships with manufacturers, retailers, distributors and interest groups that promote these programs. In collaboration with these partners, Hydro-Québec has increased both the visibility and availability of ENERGY STAR qualified products in Quebec.
Highlights of the Energy Wise program include:
- The in-store promotion of ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamps, successfully reaching some 50 000 customers in a single month through 594 daylong demonstrations in 163 stores across the province.
- The inclusion of recommendations for ENERGY STAR qualified products in Hydro-Québec's Home Diagnostic package.
- Sponsorship of the television program "Ma Maison RONA" ("My RONA House"), with Energy Wise promoting ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamps, electronic thermostats and electrical appliances.
- Distribution of the Energy Wise flyer by mail and over the Internet to thousands of Hydro-Québec customers who used the utility's Home Diagnostic service.
- A contest for Hydro-Québec's 10 000 employees and visitors to its facilities, with the winner receiving a $2,500 voucher for the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified electrical appliances.
- Energy efficiency training given to exhibits staff, call centre employees and in-store demonstrators.
- Newspaper advertisements and prime time television commercials, featuring the ENERGY STAR symbol.
Past ENERGY STAR Award Winners
2004
Manufacturer of the Year – Specific Product
Centennial Windows Ltd.
Manufacturer of the Year – Multiple Products
Panasonic Canada Ltd.
Retailer of the Year
The Home Depot Canada
Utility of the Year
Enbridge Gas Distribution
Promotional Campaign of the Year
SaskEnergy
Participant of the Year
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro)
Advocate of the Year
Terasen Gas
Rookie of the Year
Gaz Metro
Co-operative Initiative of the Year
Clean Air Foundation
Honourable Mention of the Year
Climate Change Central (Energy Solutions Alberta)
2003
Manufacturer of the Year
Whirlpool Canada Inc.
Manufacturer of the Year
Panasonic Canada Inc.
Retailer of the Year
Sears Canada Inc.
Utility of the Year
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro)
Promotional Campaign of the Year
"Keep Cool" Campaign, organized by the Clean Air Foundation
Participant of the Year
Clean Air Consumer Guide, developed by the Clean Air Partnership and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund
Government Organization of the Year – Federal
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Government Organization of the Year – Provincial/Territorial
Yukon Development Corporation
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