FREDERICTON (NB) – Kent Homes of Bouctouche, New Brunswick was presented with the Residential Energy Efficiency Champion Award by Premier David Alward at the fifth annual Premier's Awards for Energy Efficiency ceremony on May 9, 2013 in Fredericton.

The awards - 13 in total - were created by Efficiency NB to recognize innovation and leadership in energy efficiency.

As Atlantic Canada’s leading home builder, Kent Homes offers a minimum standard EnerGuide 83 rating for all homes. The energy-efficient homes provide homeowners with a healthy environment and superior comfort, as well as reduced costs and carbon footprint that come with being more energy-efficient.

“Kent Homes has been known in the marketplace as a brand leader for over 50 years,” says David Saucy, General Manager. “So for us, adding energy efficiency and better environmental performance as a key selling feature on all our homes just seemed like the obvious next step in our evolution of better serving our customers.  We want to thank our 220 employees and our 6 Kent Homes Retailers in New Brunswick who have played a key role in our success.”

After a new Kent home has been installed, a third-party consultant will verify its performance and provide the homeowner with a final energy efficiency rating of 83 or more, enabling the customer to apply for applicable provincial rebates. 

Kent Homes is also the first modular builder in the Maritimes to offer as an option an Energy Star rated home. Energy codes are continually upgraded, so Kent Homes maintains a working relationship with its suppliers to achieve better insulation ratings.  This continuous improvement will lead to even higher energy ratings for Kent modular and mini homes in the near future.

Comparing the average home today at an EnerGuide 77 rating, a Kent home with an EnerGuide 83 rating can reduce annual energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25 percent and save over $900 per year in heating costs.* 

Mark McCulloch, a small business owner in Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick, purchased a 44 by 28 foot modular home from Kent Homes last summer.  After his first winter in his new home, he says he now likes to brag about its energy efficiency.

"My total power bill for February including electric heat was $100.05, and that's the real measure of an energy-efficient home," said McCulloch.

Kent Homes, a division of J.D. Irving, Limited, employs over 200 workers in its Bouctouche plant, producing the highest quality products and services in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner.

About Kent Homes’ energy-efficient features:

•  Lower electricity bills every month, with standard features such as compact fluorescent lighting
•  Comfortable living year-round with a ductless heat pump for improved heating efficiencies and cooling
•  Enhanced and controlled indoor air quality with a heat recovery ventilator to deliver fresh filtered air to help reduce dust, odours, and indoor contaminants while managing the internal moisture in your home
•  Lower maintenance costs with the use of durable materials
•  Tight construction - special framing techniques such as a continuous air barrier and sealing of the building envelope help reduce leaks and drafts

Other options that are available to reach even higher efficiency levels:

•  Higher insulation levels
•  Heat recovery water drainage systems
•  Solar panels
•  Alternate heating systems
•  Low consumption faucets and shower heads

Kent Homes is proud to have partnered with the following suppliers and associations that have worked tirelessly with our company to enable us to deliver energy-efficient homes to our customers:

•  Efficiency NB
•  Sustainable Housing
•  Fijitsu – High efficiency mini split heat pumps
•  Atlantic Windows – Low-E-Argon Windows
•  Owens Corning – Insulation

Photos Available

Media Contacts:
Geoff Britt
Communications Officer
J.D. Irving, Limited
Office:  506-648-2609
Mobile: 506-333-2300
Email: britt.geoff@jdirving.com
Twitter @JDIGeoffBritt

Tracey Somers
Communications
Efficiency NB
Office: 506-643-2860
Mobile: 506-639-8951
Email: tracey.somers@gnb.ca

*The annual savings are based upon annual average energy costs measured in kilowatt hours per year as estimated by a third-party consultant and will be dependent upon size, regional location, position, and cost of energy for each home.