TORONTO, ON - April 29, 2014 /CNW - Scotiabank today proudly announced the nine finalists for the 2014 Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on Thursday, June 5, 2014 at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards is a national awards program that recognizes businesses, entrepreneurs and students for excellence in the development of home energy efficiency products, services and solutions. The Awards program is one of three components of the Scotiabank EcoLiving program, designed to educate Canadians on the benefits of home energy efficiency and green home improvements.

"The finalists for the 2014 Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards have each highlighted innovative new technologies, products and services that inspire Canadians to save energy at home," said Kaz Flinn, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Scotiabank.

Along with the award incentives, winners of the 2014 Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards will receive a sculpture created by award-winning Canadian goldsmith, crystal artist and designer Mark Raynes Roberts. 

An independent judging panel selected the finalists from a highly-competitive field of applications. The 2014 Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards judges were:

• Valérie Bécaert, Executive Director of the CIRAIG
• John Godden, Principal, Clearsphere
• Shawn McCarthy, Global Energy Reporter, The Globe and Mail
• Mark Salerno, Manager, Ontario Communications and Marketing Centre, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
• Ed Whittingham, Executive Director of the Pembina Institute

To learn more about the judges, visit http://ecoliving.scotiabank.com/awards.

"While most Canadians are aware of and concerned about climate change, there is still a gap between the way we think about it and the way that we use energy in the home," said Valérie Bécaert, Executive Director, Interuniversity Research Centre for the Lifecycle of Products, Processes and Services (CIRAIG) and Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards Judge. "The Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards promote research and development in home energy efficiency and help to reinforce the ways that individual households can reduce their carbon footprint."

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards program is unique in its focus on public awareness. As part of the award criteria, all awards recipients must demonstrate the capacity to generate public interest and excitement in energy efficiency through submitted products or solutions.

The finalists are:

Category: Scotiabank EcoLiving Business Leadership Award ($50,000)

RND Construction Ltd. - Roy Nandram, Ottawa, Ontario: RND specializes in energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly residential new-build homes, as well as renovation. RND is dedicated to upholding building techniques that surpass required housing standards without relying on renewable energy sources.

Shape, Study, Share - The Solterre Approach - Jennifer Corson and Keith Robertson, Halifax, Nova Scotia: 
Solterre Design expands the boundaries of green building through three steps: shape, study, and share. Solterre shapes cost-effective and small footprint designs, providing accessible and affordable high-performance housing. Solterre studies the results of its work through ongoing monitoring, and shares this research with industry colleagues, students and clients.

ACE-Alternative & Conservation Energies Inc. and ASH-Autonomous & Sustainable Housing Inc. - Jorg & Helen Ostrowski, Calgary, Alberta: provide real-world solutions and leading-edge demonstration projects for architectural and environmental design and consulting of new, "RecoFit" (ecological retrofit) and ecoPlus projects, green buildings and sustainable (re)development, to optimize a holistic approach to eco-living for planet, people and business, in Canada and other countries.

Category: Scotiabank EcoLiving Innovation Award ($15,000)

EnergyMobile Studios Inc. - Tim Johnson, Ottawa, Ontario: EnergyMobile builds easy-to-use apps that help consumers understand home energy consumption. Designed to promote awareness and boost literacy, these tools enable users to make energy-smart choices that save money and reduce environmental impact.

Active House - Andre D'Elia and Meg Graham, superkül inc | architect, Ontario: Active House is designed to push the boundaries of green Canadian residential development, by creating a sustainable, healthy and uplifting modern family home filled with natural light. Great Gulf initiated the Active House concept in Canada.

Solar Thermal Heating System - Joshua Green, St. John's, Newfoundland: This supplementary heating system is an innovative way to reduce the amount of energy consumed at the residential level, specifically for space and water heating. The system consists of 2-4 solar thermal air collectors, depending on the size of the home, which offer a sustainable way to lower residential utility bills.

Category: Scotiabank EcoLiving Student Leadership Award ($10,000)

Cheminée Bleue (Blue Chimney) - Jérôme Fournier, École de Téchnologie Supérieure, Montreal, Quebec: This large glass chimney can be installed by residential or commercial building owners looking to reduce their energy consumption. It consists of a heating, air conditioning and air circulation system that uses primarily solar energy. It works in conjunction with the traditional heating units used in most urban dwellings.

Energy Management and Power Disaggregation - Fiona Yuan and Christopher Tegho, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec:This system helps to achieve energy efficiency in households, businesses and institutions by allowing end users to monitor and control the energy consumption of individual appliances. The system uses artificial intelligence and data provided by one power meter installed at distribution feeders to provide information at the appliance level. 

Smarterstat - Randy Van Straaten, Western University, London, Ontario: Wireless thermostats, data mining, and energy efficiency present an opportunity and need to guide home owners like never before. This software archives your thermostat data and uses it along with weather forecasts to inform your thermostat settings.

"We would like to extend our thanks to all those who applied for the 2014 Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards for their interest and significant efforts in improving home energy efficiency," said Ms. Flinn.

About Scotiabank EcoLiving
Scotiabank's EcoLiving, which launched in 2010, is a unique program focused on educating Canadians on the shared benefits of home energy efficiency and green home improvements. With its emphasis on demonstrating how people can save money by saving energy, and at the same time reduce their impact on climate change, Scotiabank's EcoLiving program communicates the advantages of energy efficiency and sustainable practices. The EcoLiving website includes a financial calculator and information on government rebates, which allow users to plan and finance their projects and see the savings that can result from environmentally friendly renovations. As energy prices continue to increase and residential energy efficiency continues to be a factor in renovation trends, EcoLiving is a resource that provides users with the tools to make informed decisions.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank. Through our team of more than 83,000 employees, Scotiabank and its affiliates offer a broad range of products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management, corporate and investment banking to over 21 million customers. With assets of $744 billion (as at October 31, 2013), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using CNW. For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com.

Media inquiries:

Nadine Jahangir
Scotiabank Media Communications
416-933-2927
nadine.jahangir@scotiabank.com