2011 Winners

On November 30, CivicAction’s Greening Greater Toronto presented the first annual Race to Reduce Awards to office building landlords and tenants who are participating in the Race to Reduce smart energy office challenge and are reducing their buildings’ energy use.  Awards were given under the categories of Participation, Performance, and Action & Innovation.  Close to 200 senior leaders – building owners, managers, tenants and employees –attended the event to recognize Race participants from a range of building types, sizes and ages throughout the Toronto region.

ACTION & INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS

Action & Innovation Awards recognize participants who have demonstrated leadership and superior commitment to energy reduction or efficiency through their actions and/or innovative excellence.

Winners:

Building team: Cadillac Fairview and TD Centre Green Council

The Cadillac Fairview and TD Centre Green Council team won for their Occupant Engagement Program at the TD Centre. The program demonstrates a strategic approach to occupant engagement that focuses on driving a cultural change within the building community that will have a long term, continued impact. In tackling human behaviour – one of the biggest barriers to energy reduction – the team realized energy savings of 2.4 million kilowatt hours (kWh) during its 2011 Energy Campaign.

Landlord: Oxford Properties Group (Royal Bank Plaza)

As the owner of one of the first buildings to receive a LEED Existing Building (EB) designation in Toronto, Oxford Properties showed great leadership and innovation with a very progressive and challenging project. Oxford was a pioneer in educating the marketplace on LEED EB, and overcame many barriers to make this project happen.  In undertaking the challenge, Oxford reduced its use of electricity (25%), steam (48%), and chilled water (43%), amounting to over $1.8 million saved in 2010 alone. Its subsequent education programs will ensure this impact is sustainable.

Tenant: RBC and Stikeman Elliott LLP

RBC has utilized many tools, technologies, and platforms to engage and empower employees. Using a grassroots approach, RBC built a diverse and dedicated team, generated awareness, and understanding of the company’s impacts, and made employees a part of the process and journey.

Stikeman Elliott stood out for its ongoing initiatives that represent a long-term commitment to a robust and multi-faceted sustainability program. The GoingGreen program is comprehensive, and demonstrates proactive tenant leadership with employees and with their landlord GWL Realty Advisors.  Their office light sensor installation project resulted in an annual savings of 450,000 kWh, and the second lighting retrofit of more than 2500 light fixtures and removal of 630 fixtures resulted in an annual savings of 350,000 kWh.

BUILDING PERFORMANCE – LOWEST ENERGY USE

Awards were presented based on building performance data submitted to REALpac for its 2011 Energy Benchmarking Survey.

Winners:

Under 500,000ft²:

• 191 The West Mall, Whiterock REIT; and
• North York City Center, 5160 Yonge Street, GWL Realty Advisors

Over 500,000ft²:

• Bell Trinity Square, 483 Bay Street, BTS Realty Limited Partnership

Honourable mention:

• Menkes Union Tower, 25 York Street, Menkes

BUILDING PARTICIPATION AWARD WINNERS

Sixty-one buildings earned participation awards. Award levels were determined based on the percentage of tenant space registered for the Race to Reduce (Gross Leasable Area).

Gold: 26 awards were given to buildings with over 75 per cent of tenant space signed up.

Silver: 19 awards were given to buildings with 50 – 74 per cent of tenant space signed up.

Bronze: 16 awards were given to buildings with 20 – 49 per cent of tenant space signed up.

Gold Winners:

Silver Winners:

Bronze Winners: