Awards Introduction

The Race to Reduce recognizes remarkable efforts and outcomes by participants through its annual awards program.

We presented the first annual Race to Reduce Awards on November 30, 2011. These awards recognized and celebrated landlord and tenant leaders in the Toronto region’s office building sector, the unique partnership they have embarked on since the launch of the Race to Reduce, and the results of their collaborative effort to date.

This year, there will be three categories of awards focusing on:

Awards Ceremony: November 28, 5:30-7pm

Awards Jury: Brian Denney, CAO, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority; Sean Foley, Publisher, MediaEdge; Andrew Pride, VP Conservation, Ontario Power Authority; Anne Wilkins, Chief, Federal Buildings Initiative, Natural Resources Canada; Enbridge Gas Distribution

Did You Know

- Tip: Close window blinds to shade your space from direct sunlight.
- Tip: Replace your exit lights with upgraded energy efficient models.
- Dripping taps can waste 9,000 litres of hot water each year.
- Installing occupancy sensors and dimmers in break rooms, restrooms and conference rooms can reduce lighting costs up to 40%.
- Computers are used only an average of 10% of the time they are turned on.
- For each degree that you raise the thermostat, energy savings can be as much as 5 per cent of your air conditioning costs.
- Installing an energy efficient attic fan or evaporative cooler helps reduce or replace air conditioner use.
- The fastest way to electricity savings for your HVAC is to install programmable thermostats.
- Ink-jet printers consume less energy than laser printers.
- Tenants account for 25 – 50% of the total energy use in an office building.
- Lighting may account for 25– 40% of the total electricity use in an office building.
- If your equipment is over 5 to 10 years old, there is more efficient equipment on the market that could save you enough energy for you to afford the replacement in a very short payback period.
- New high efficiency T8 and T5 fluorescent tubes last longer (up to 16 years), cast attractive lighting colour and need less maintenance than standard T12 lamps.
- Replacing old stand alone air conditioning units with energy efficient models can save up to 30% on your energy cost for air conditioning.
- Replacing your holiday decorative lights with LED lights can result in an 85% reduction in energy costs.
- Performing regular maintenance activities on your HVAC system can save up to 30% of fan energy and up to 10% of space conditioning energy use.
- Air movement from a ceiling fan can cool a room by up to 4 degrees.
- Replacing your T12 fluorescent and magnetic ballast exit lights with energy efficient T8 lamps and electronic ballasts can reduce energy use by up to 40%.
- Replacing large-volume toilets with 6-litre-per-flush models saves at least 70% of the water used.
- Save 30-70% in energyby replacing your older room air conditioner with a more efficient ENERGY STAR model.
- A standard fan costs less than $1/month to operate while a central air conditioning unit can cost up to $178/month.
- Just eight gas lamps, burning year-round, use as much natural gas as it takes to heat an average-size home during an entire winter.
- Commercial buildings account for 20% of the carbon emissions in the GTA, and consume 37 per cent of the electricity and 17 per cent of the natural gas.
- Installing shading devices on southern- and western-facing windows will help you bet the heat and the costs of air conditioning.