First-ever awards program to honour innovation in home energy savings/ efficiency products, services and solutions

TORONTO, May 10 /CNW/ - Scotiabank, in partnership with Green Living Enterprises, today announced the nine finalists of the inaugural Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards, a Canada-wide awards program recognizing businesses, innovators and students for excellence in the development of home energy efficiency products, services and solutions. The winners of the $75,000 in award incentives will be announced at a gala ceremony at the Art Gallery of Ontario on June 2, 2011 during Canadian Environmental Week.

"Scotiabank is pleased to reward and profile outstanding businesses and individuals on the cutting edge of residential energy efficiency innovation in Canada," said Anatol von Hahn, Group Head, Canadian Banking, Scotiabank. "The Awards are an important part of our flagship environmental program, EcoLiving, which helps Canadians make greener choices for their homes, reduce their energy bills and take advantage of government rebates. We are excited to recognize and celebrate Canada's brightest stars in home energy efficiency."

An independent judging panel selected the finalists from over 65 comprehensive entries. Judges included: Tom Rand, Author, Cleantech Advisor and Practice Lead at the MaRs Discovery District, Thomas Mueller, Founding Director of the Canada Green Building Council,  André Fauteux, journalist and publisher/editor of La Maison, Lisa Rochon, architecture critic for the Globe and Mail and Dr, Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada.

"The calibre of the entries is proof-positive that Canadians are committed to finding solutions to greening the planet with energy-saving innovations as a cornerstone of success," says Laurie Simmonds, CEO and President, Green Living Enterprises. "Scotiabank is taking a leadership role by recognizing businesses, innovators and students implementing and developing energy-saving ideas."

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards program is unique in its focus on public awareness. An overarching criterion for all awards recipients is the ability to demonstrate capacity to generate public interest and excitement in energy efficiency through submitted products or solutions.

The finalists are as follows:

• The Scotiabank EcoLiving Business Leadership Award ($50,000): to be awarded to a business or individual who is leading the way in home energy efficiency products, services or solutions.
• BUILD of (Winnipeg, Manitoba) for its pioneering efforts to retrofit low-income homes with energy saving materials and devices.
• Ecobee of (Toronto, Ontario) for its development of a wireless enabled Smart Thermostat that can save homeowners up to 20 percent on their heating and cooling costs.
• Tridel Corporation of (Toronto, Ontario) for its leadership in allowing its condominium owners to control their energy use.
  
  
• The EcoLiving Innovators Award ($15,000): will go to a business or individual who is demonstrating innovation in home energy efficient products, services and solutions.
• EcoPlusHome of (Bathurst, New Brunswick) whose prefabricated family homes put zero demand on the power grid.
• Tiocoat of (Woodbridge, Ontario) whose reflective roof coating keeps buildings cool in summer, slash electricity costs and extend a roof's life.
• The University of Northern British Columbia of (Prince George, British Columbia) which heats its campus by converting wood waste from local mills into energy, reducing fossil fuel consumption by 85 percent and adds no particulates into the air.
  
  
• The Scotiabank EcoLiving Student Leadership Award ($10,000): will be awarded to a full-time college or university student who demonstrates promise for the future of home energy conservation.
• Eden Full of (Calgary, Alberta), a mechanical engineering student at Princeton University, who invented the SunSaluter, a $10 tracking rotation system that maximizes the output of solar panels so that 40 percent fewer panels are required.
• Patrick Leslie of (Kingston, Ontario), a student at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, who developed a smart phone application that obtains information about home owner appliances and identifies the most cost-effective ways to cut energy consumption.
• Students at the University of Calgary who created Team Canada's entry in an international student competition for building energy efficient solar-powered homes that are both mold-and fire-proof.

"The Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards program provides an important and unique opportunity to help build awareness of the environmental and economic savings that come with having a more energy efficient home," said Kaz Flinn, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Scotiabank. "In addition to rewarding leadership and innovation in home energy efficiencies, we hope our program will help encourage further product and service developments and foster public interest and education around the benefits of energy conservation."

Full information on the awards, the finalists, the judging panel and the gala awards ceremony is available exclusively on Scotiabank's EcoLiving website, http://ecoliving.scotiabank.com/awards

About the Scotiabank EcoLiving Program

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Program, introduced in June 2010, is Scotiabank's Canadian flagship environmental program designed to help Canadians discover how they can make greener choices for their homes, reduce their energy bills and take advantage of government rebates. The EcoLiving website (www.ecoliving.scotiabank.com) is a cornerstone of the program and a unique online consumer resource. The site offers government rebate and financial savings information all in one place - providing an easy-to-use resource for Canadians to learn about, plan and compare green home improvement options. EcoLiving Magazine, a bi-annual publication, features seasonally specific home greening information and tips. Through the Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards, Canadian businesses, innovators and students dedicated to improving residential energy efficiency will be recognized and honoured. The first three award recipients will be announced on June 2, 2011.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. With more than 70,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With assets above $541 billion (as at January 31, 2011), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com.

About GreenLiving

Green Living Enterprises is a pioneer and leader in developing social and environmental marketing programs that keep consumers and clients at the forefront of the green agenda. Green Living Enterprises is a full-service, one-stop solution for green marketing, product and program development, custom publishing, and event management.  Green Living Enterprises, an authentically green company, also includes Greenlivingonline.com and The Green Living Show, North America's largest green consumer show, dedicated to easy and workable solutions for leading a sustainable lifestyle.