Energy efficiency is top of mind for many Ottawa home builders if the list of finalists for the 2018 EnerQuality awards is any benchmark.
The awards’ 16 categories honour energy-efficient building and related professional expertise across the province.
This year’s lineup of local finalists is led by RND Construction. The company is a finalist in five categories, up from three last year: Building Innovation – Low Rise, Net Zero Builder, Ontario Green Builder, People’s Choice and Builder Achievement.
RND president Roy Nandram had anticipated being named finalist in a couple of categories and was pleasantly surprised when he hit five.
“In Ontario it’s pretty difficult, (there are) lots of builders that are jockeying for position,” he says. “It just means that we’re doing something right. I think the fruits of our labour are showing here that we’ve been making inroads on the green front and we continue to do that year after year. I like EnerQuality because it focuses on the green part of home builders.”
Nandram was particularly pleased to find himself as a People’s Choice finalist. “We’re among guys like Minto and (Toronto’s) Great Gulf Homes — these are huge companies. It’s nice to be among the big boys.”
People’s Choice is a new category this year. It’s comprised of the finalists for the Ontario Green Builder award, which is the top award.
Other locals in the running
Other finalists for People’s Choice include The Minto Group, which is competing in several categories. Although the company has operations in Toronto and elsewhere, it is headquartered in Ottawa.
Urbandale Construction is in the running for Building Innovation – Low Rise. With a history of energy-efficient building, the company is also a finalist for EnerQuality’s Energy Star for New Homes Builder of the Year – Mid Volume.
Being a finalist is significant, according to Urbandale general manager Peter Weiss. “Having a third party verify (us) brings awareness that it’s not just us saying the energy savings we design are important. (It’s like they are saying), ‘Hey guys, you’re doing something here that has value.’”
Weiss says their submission for the building innovation award is Urbandale’s Proud Foundation. This construction method brings the exterior foundation wall out past the side of the house, thereby moving the “dew point” where hot and cold air meet and create condensation. That’s done to eliminate the possibility of condensation on the interior side of the foundation.
“The last thing you want is condensation on the inside because that can lead to all sorts of problems,” he says.
Making an impact
Ottawa’s Tamarack Homes is a contender in the Builder Achievement category and the company has already been named as this year’s recipient of the EnerQuality Impact Award for long-term commitment to green building practices.
Corvinelli Homes is also among the Ottawa-area finalists. The company, currently building at Russell Trails, is in the running for EnerQuality’s Energy Star for New Homes Builder of the Year – Small/Custom.
Winners in all categories will be announced Feb. 28.
EnerQuality certifies energy-efficient homes in Canada, including Energy Star construction. It has been giving various awards for two decades.
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