Seniors' Complex First to Cash in on Building Efficiency Rebate09/01/2004"We are pleased to receive the program's first incentive for building more energy-efficient facilities," says the Honorable Ed Stelmach, Minister of Transportation and MLA, Vegreville. "It's promising to see these climate-change initiatives being implemented in smaller communities such as Vegreville." "It is our desire to build more facilities with cost effective and energy efficient systems," says Bohdan Shulakewych, president and CEO, St. Michael's Extended Care Centre Society. "The savings will be factored into rental costs. In the long term, it is just good business." Energy Solutions Alberta launched the Alberta Plus Initiative last November in partnership with Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) Office of Energy Efficiency. This pilot program tops up funding from NRCan's Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP). It provides up to $40,000 in funding, which along with a maximum $60,000 CBIP grant, equals a potential $100,000 incentive for the design phase of building construction. "This initiative has spurred innovation in the building industry in Alberta and promoted more sustainable forms of building construction," says Allan Amey, President and CEO of Climate Change Central. "The aim of the extra funding is to encourage builders to create innovative and energy efficient building designs that become the norm in the future." The 55-suite St. Michael's Manor features ventilation heat recovery units in the residential wings, low-emissivity windows, energy-efficient lighting, R-20 insulated walls and an R-40 roof. The Alberta Plus Initiative expires March 31, 2004. To qualify for the program, applicants must first be approved for CBIP funding, which requires a building design at least 25 per cent more energy efficient than the Model National Energy Code for Buildings. Climate Change Central is a private-public partnership established as a catalyst for and coordinator of activities by individuals, businesses, institutions and governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Alberta. |
