Tamarack, RND, Building Energy win 2018 EnerQuality awards

Ottawa builders Tamarack Homes and RND Construction, along with energy consultant Building Energy Inc., were big winners at the 2018 EnerQuality awards this week.

The annual awards honour energy-efficient building and related professional expertise across the province. Six Ottawa companies made it through as finalists, with RND up for five possible awards.

In the end, RND claimed the award for building innovation (low-rise) for its Phoenix project, which was built in collaboration with Arca-Verde Architecture.

Saying he was excited about the win, RND president Roy Nandram said the home uses a special “geo-exchange ground loop” around the foundation that was designed to pull heating and cooling from the ground to either heat or cool incoming air before it enters the home’s energy recovery ventilator or ERV.

“This IS innovation,” he said.

Nandram is known for his commitment to sustainable building and has long been a champion of energy efficiency.

“I like EnerQuality because it focuses on the green part of home builders,” he said when the finalists were announced last month. “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.”

The Phoenix project also won for green custom home at last fall’s Housing Design Awards put on by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association.

Tamarack Homes took home two awards, winning EQ’s Impact Award for “making significant long-term voluntary progress in reducing carbon emissions and showing outstanding achievements through energy efficiency and sustainable practices,” EnerQuality said in a release.

Along with Tartan Homes, Tamarack built Canada’s first Energy Star community — Jackson Trails in Stittsville — in 2005 and all of its homes today are Energy Star-certified, which means they are about 20 per cent more energy efficient than homes built to the building code.

“We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication to sustainability,” Tamarack president Chris Taggart said in the release. “The EnerQuality Impact Award symbolizes the commitment we make every day to prioritizing families, communities and the environment.”

Tamarack’s second award went to Jacqueline Collier from the builder’s Kingston office, who won for builder achievement.

And architect Mark Rosen of Building Energy Inc. won the energy advisor award.

“The work done by energy advisors is growing more and more important in supporting and advancing sustainable housing,” says Rosen. “This award is really important to me because it shows that the industry values the work done by energy advisors in moving this industry forward.”

EnerQuality certifies energy-efficient homes in Canada, including Energy Star construction. It has been giving various awards for two decades. The awards were given out at a gala in Toronto on Feb. 28.