Canadian Energy Efficiency Company to Present Case Study at US Energy Conference: 37% Reduction in Electricity Consumption with Kwadacha First Nation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 1st, 2014
Canadian Energy Efficiency Company to Present Case Study at US Energy Conference: 37% Reduction in Electricity Consumption with Kwadacha First Nation
Quality Program Services invited to present at the Energy OutWest Conference in San Diego, California.
Surrey, BC – Quality Program Services (QPS), a Canadian energy efficiency company, has been invited to present, ‘Engagement -The Human Factor in Energy Efficiency’ to weatherization professionals from across the continent at the Energy OutWest Bi-annual Conference, being held this year in San Diego, California at the Manchester Grand Hyatt from April 14 to 18.
The presentation will recount the story of a Canadian First Nation, a Utility Corporation (BC Hydro), and an Energy Efficiency Contractor coming together to empower residents of Fort Ware, BC, home of the Kwadacha First Nation and one of the province’s most remote communities, to save energy. The story weaves together the experiences of key individuals involved in the project including Tracy Charlie, one of the first female Energy Champions in a Canadian First Nation, and Chief Donny Van Somer, whose leadership enabled the project to improve the homes of Kwadacha residents, while reducing the cost of energy for his whole community.
The presentation will focus on the results of the Kwadacha First Nation project that shows a 37% reduction in electricity consumption for the homes included in the pilot project. Areef Abraham of QPS, the organization that designed, supported, and managed the project from inception to completion explains “For a remote community like Kwadacha who relies on diesel to supply their electricity, traditional means of reducing electrical consumption using “cookie cutter” programs simply don’t work. Instead, the project focused on deep energy retrofits and peer education to reduce electrical usage. One of the ways we did this was to help the community understand how and where they could make the greatest impacts; this included the value in moving to more efficient space heating using wood which is a renewable bioenergy resource in the area.”
Chief Donny Van Somer adds “Our community is excited to share our story of success with others at the Energy Outwest Conference. We are proud of the results and the work that our residents and our Nation have done to achieve this success. This is one of a number of initiatives our community is undertaking to become a more green and sustainable community.”
Areef Abraham, together with Chief Donny Van Somer of Kwadacha Nation, and Robyn Spencer of BC Hydro will make the presentation on Wednesday, April 16th from 10 until 11:30 a.m.
Energy OutWest, Inc. (EOW) is a western US based independent, nonprofit charitable organization devoted to the promotion and advancement of the technical capacity of the region’s energy and environmental services network through education and training in energy conservation, renewable practices, and technologies. http://www.energyoutwest.org/
Quality Program Services works with governments and utility corporations to deliver residential energy saving programs, and with housing providers, organizations, and individuals to reduce their energy use. QPS recently won the small business category in Surrey Board of Trade’s Business and Environment Awards for its program: Empower Me. For additional information about Quality Program Services, call 604-598-8428, email: yasmin@qpscanada.ca, or visit www.qualityprogramservices.ca
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| Contact: | Yasmin Abraham, Business Development Manager, Quality Program Services | |
| Phone: 778-899-5939 | ||
| Email: yasmin@qpscanada.ca |
