From Left to right: Ben Hettrick, Smith’s RV Centre; Pat Spina, Badanai Motors; Robert Mace, president, Thunder Bay Hydro; Rob Coffey, Dufrense; Roy Summers, LMI Thunder Bay; Tony Pecchia, Thunder Bay Hydro. Photo by Caroline Cox.

On May 7, Thunder Bay Hydro recognized four local businesses at its 2014 Retrofit Excellence in Energy Efficiency & Conservation Awards. Each business presented with the honour has demonstrated leadership to save energy, and participated in the Thunder Bay Hydro saveONenergy RETROFIT PROGRAM over the past year. The RETROFIT PROGRAM provides incentives for commercial operations to install newer, more energy efficient solutions.

“Thunder Bay Hydro is proud to recognize the great things happening in our community and the local businesses who do more to save energy…we understand that a saved kilowatt has value and it only makes business sense to encourage savings through our programs and offer incentives to those who participate. The businesses acknowledged today, are all committed to operate more efficiently and as a result are feeling the benefits,” said Robert Mace, president of Thunder Bay Hydro.

The recipients of the 2014 Retrofit Excellence in Energy Efficiency & Conservation
Awards are:

• Badanai Motors
Retrofit Measure: Lighting fixture replacements amounting to savings of 44,000 kWh of electricity annually.

• Dufresne
Retrofit Measure: LED lighting upgrades at a cost $32,000 that resulted in equal energy savings within a year of installation.

• LMI Thunder Bay
Retrofit Measure: Old lighting replaced with new more efficient lighting resulting in a savings of $25,000 a year.

• Smith’s RV Centre
Retrofit Measure: Old lighting replaced with new more efficient lighting resulting in an energy savings of 35%.

Thunder Bay Hydro also announced three “Retrofit Recruits” for 2014: the Airlane Hotel & Conference Centre (committed to upgrading to a more efficient HVAC system and more efficient lighting); Dominion Motors (committed to replacing at least 50% of their lighting with more efficient models), and Naxos Grille & Bar (committed to replacing old lighting with more efficient and longer lasting LED models).

Jake Allen, energy advisor for Thunder Bay Hydro recognizes that most customers need an extra incentive to “get in shape, and saveONenergy programs provide that motivation.” “Every year more and more businesses are committing to finding new ways to save energy and money for the long-term,” said Allen. The RETROFIT PROGRAM offers these incentives and over 130 local businesses have committed to participating in the program in 2014.

Over the last seven years the saveONenergy RETROFIT program has paid out over $1.3 million in incentives to local businesses.

For details visit tbhydro.saveonenergy.ca/retrofit