Spring 2023 magazine

Check your mailboxes! Our spring magazine is on its way to households across Manitoba. 

Read our magazine to learn more about our programs and rebates, seasonal energy-saving tips, and other energy efficiency-related content. Make sure to hang on to your copy so you can reference it whenever you need information about saving energy, money, and the environment. 

 

SPRING 2023 MAGAZINE

If you haven’t received a magazine or prefer an electronic copy, download the digital version

Our spring magazine is available online in French! Read the French magazine here or download the digital version

Project feature: Supremex

SUPREME SAVINGS THROUGH OUR CUSTOM ENERGY SOLUTIONS PROGRAM

SupremeX is a leading North American manufacturer of envelopes and a growing provider of paper-based packaging solutions for large national and multinational customers. Sustainability is an important part of their business model, and they continuously monitor and take steps to reduce their environmental impact.  

SupremeX saw an opportunity to make the vacuum system at their Winnipeg facility more energy efficient, so they reached out to us to see how we could help support the project. We were happy to provide them with a financial incentive and technical expertise through our Custom Energy Solutions Program.  

THE PROJECT

Their original vacuum system consisted of four 75 hp (horsepower) modulating vacuum pumps. Although the system was in good working condition, it was outdated and inefficient. We worked with SupremeX to determine the best upgrade for their vacuum system to save energy: a new high-efficiency 100 hp variable-speed drive vacuum pump. The old 75 hp vacuum pumps remain as base load units and backup.  

The original vacuum system required three 75 hp vacuum pumps (a total of 225 hp) to run all day and night. The upgraded system requires the new 100 hp vacuum pump and one of the 75 hp vacuum pumps (a total of 175 hp) during the day, and just the 100 hp vacuum pump during the night, resulting in impressive energy savings.  

THE SAVINGS

The upgraded vacuum system resulted in verified annual energy savings of 433,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh). As a result of the upgrade, SupremeX can save close to $27,000 on their annual energy costs.  

Not only will SupremeX save energy and money on their energy bills, we also provided them with an incentive of $51,000 to help offset the cost of the upgrade. Additionally, the new system is likely to have lower maintenance costs and improved reliability.  

SupremeX is committed to environmental sustainability, and we’re always looking for ways to save energy in our operations. Working with Efficiency Manitoba to upgrade our vacuum system was easy and the staff were very knowledgeable. We’re already enjoying our new vacuum system and the savings that come with it.”

Hayden Kent
Plant Manager, SupremeX

ARE YOU LOOKING TO MAKE YOUR FACILITY MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT?

If you’re interested in making your industrial, commercial, or agricultural facility more energy efficient, we’re here to help. We have the expertise to assist in identifying energy-saving opportunities and financial incentives to help you implement your project.    


Project feature: Happy Tails Pet Resort & Spa

HOW OUR BUSINESS LIGHTING PROGRAM HELPED HAPPY TAILS SAVE ENERGY & MONEY

Happy Tails Pet Resort & Spa, a dog and cat daycare in Winnipeg, recently participated in our Business Lighting Program — and we’re paw-sitively impressed by the savings!  

Through our program, they updated all the light fixtures in their building to LEDs. Because of this upgrade, they’ll save an impressive 40,000 kWh in energy savings every year! Better yet, this will translate to approximately $2,000 in energy bill savings annually, and they received a $5,000 incentive from us. Those sound like (happy) tail-wagging savings to us! 

WATCH THE VIDEO

ARE YOU A BUILDING OWNER?

Building owners or their lighting suppliers or contractors can apply for financial incentives through the Business Lighting Program on our website. Check out our program guide to see our incentive rates and eligibility requirements. 

ARE YOU A LIGHTING SUPPLIER OR CONTRACTOR?

We highly encourage you to join our supplier network. You’ll be listed on our website as a registered Efficiency Manitoba supplier and can offer our programs to your customers. You’ll also have access to training opportunities and materials offered by our team of experts and can promote our energy efficiency programs in your advertising. The best part? It’s free to register and participate!   


Project feature: Kelsey School Division

HELPING MANITOBANS SAVE WITH OUR BUSINESS LIGHTING PROGRAM

Our Business Lighting Program offers incentives to businesses that make energy efficiency upgrades to the lighting in their buildings.   

Kelsey School Division completed lighting upgrades at several of their schools and we provided them incentives to help cover the material costs!  

THE PROJECT

Kelsey School Division consists of six schools, ranging from kindergarten to adult education, in The Pas.   

The school division recently completed energy-efficient lighting upgrades at École Scott Bateman Middle School, Kelsey Community School, Mary Duncan School, and École Opasquia School. With the help of our incentives, they upgraded the fluorescent fixtures inside the schools with LEDs.   

LEDs use much less energy than fluorescent fixtures. They also last longer, resulting in less maintenance and less disruptions to the classroom. LED fixtures fit the same space as fluorescent fixtures, making installation easy.   

THE SAVINGS

Across these four schools, Kelsey School Division will realize a total of 85,000 kWh in annual electricity savings! This will save an impressive $4,000 a year on their energy bills. We were able to provide over $20,000 in incentives for these projects. For a limited time, we’re offering an additional 25% customer bonus on all lighting projects. Apply before March 31, 2023 to take advantage of this offer.  

Efficiency Manitoba made energy-efficient lighting upgrades possible. The projects covered under the program would not have been considered without the incentives. The bonus 25% payout gave me even more incentive to finish my project.”

Chris Paterson
Maintenance Electrician, Kelsey School Division

THE PROCESS

Applying for incentives is easy with our new online application system, myEM. Building owners can apply on their own, or their lighting suppliers or contractors can apply on their behalf.   

Once you log into our system, you fill out your project information. We review your project details and send you your approval. Then you can get started with your installation.  

Once your lighting is installed, upload your invoice to myEM. We’ll process your application and send you your cheque!  

Our team will work with you if you have any questions along the way. We want to help you get your project done as quickly and efficiently as possible.   

“Approval and payment of incentives were very quick,” remarks Paterson.  

ARE YOU A BUILDING OWNER?

Building owners or their lighting suppliers or contractors can apply for financial incentives through the Business Lighting Program on our website. Check out our program guide to see our incentive rates and eligibility requirements. 

ARE YOU A LIGHTING SUPPLIER OR CONTRACTOR?

We highly encourage you to join our supplier network. You’ll be listed on our website as a registered Efficiency Manitoba supplier and can offer our programs to your customers. You’ll also have access to training opportunities and materials offered by our team of experts and can promote our energy efficiency programs in your advertising. The best part? It’s free to register and participate!   


Project feature: Kansteel Manufacturing Inc. & Nickel Electric Ltd.

HELPING MANITOBANS SAVE WITH OUR BUSINESS LIGHTING PROGRAM

Our Business Lighting Program offers incentives to businesses that make energy-efficient upgrades to the lighting in their buildings.   

Together with Nickel Electric Ltd, Kansteel Manufacturing Inc. upgraded their shop lights and we sent them an incentive!

THE PROJECT

Kansteel Manufacturing was established in 1985 and specializes in the fabrication of metal vessels and tanks. Located at 2005 Pacific Avenue in Brandon, they serve customers in the mining, agricultural, and chemical industries across Canada. 

Inside the shop, they recently upgraded their old metal-halide lighting with new LEDs through our Business Lighting Program.   

LEDs use much less energy than metal-halides and provide a safer working environment. They also provide a better quality of light and reach full brightness immediately.  

Our new shop lighting is excellent. The old metal-halides took a long time to warm up when turned on. The safety aspect of good lighting is evident. We don’t have dark corners and shadows on our workpieces.”

Miles Haukeness, P.Eng
Kansteel Plant Manager

THE SAVINGS

The new shop lights will result in 9,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in electricity savings each year! As a result, Kansteel will save $500 per year on their energy bill.   

We provided them with an incentive of $4,000 plus a bonus customer incentive of $1,000 for a total incentive of $5,000. For a limited time, until March 31, 2023, we’re offering an additional 25% customer bonus on all lighting projects.   

THE PROCESS

Applying for incentives is easy with our new online application system, myEM. Building owners can apply on their own, or their lighting suppliers or contractors can apply on their behalf.   

Nickel Electric Ltd. has been providing electrical services since 1974. They serve residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Westman area and have submitted many Efficiency Manitoba applications on behalf of their customers.   

“Our lighting contractor was very thorough and helped us through the process. We are very happy with the results,” Haukeness remarks.  

When an application is submitted by a contractor, they collect and supply all the project information and invoicing. The building owners are sent a link to sign the application, but no log-ins or accounts are required. Once the project is complete, we send the incentive cheque—it’s that easy!  

“[We’ve] actually had a few clients notice the new lighting and I advised them to check out [this] program”, says Haukeness.  

ARE YOU A BUILDING OWNER?

Building owners or their lighting suppliers or contractors can apply for financial incentives through the Business Lighting Program on our website. Check out our program guide to see our incentive rates and eligibility requirements. 

ARE YOU A LIGHTING SUPPLIER OR CONTRACTOR?

We highly encourage you to join our supplier network. You’ll be listed on our website as a registered Efficiency Manitoba supplier and can offer our programs to your customers. You’ll also have access to training opportunities and materials offered by our team of experts and can promote our energy efficiency programs in your advertising. The best part? It’s free to register and participate!   


Embrace Manitoba Winters

FUN WINTER ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Manitoba winters are full of snow and cold weather. While some of us dream of the return of summer, we know it’s still a while away. So instead of avoiding the snow and cold, why not embrace it? Take advantage of what our beautiful province has to offer by unplugging and exploring over the winter season! 

Here are just a few ideas to get out of the house and into the snow (just be sure to dress for the occasion): 

HIT THE PRAIRIES 

The flat landscape of the prairies makes it the perfect place to put on some snowshoes or cross-country skis and explore! Head out to a provincial park to cruise the trails or go off the beaten path and explore the countryside. Just be sure to prepare according to the weather conditions and have your plan in place before heading out. 

SLEIGH THE DAY 

Get together with a group of your closest friends and family and do something new! A unique winter favourite is booking a horse-drawn sleigh ride to enjoy the beautiful winter scenery. There are many ranches throughout the province that offer sleigh rides, so you’re sure to find one near you. Bundle up, make a hot chocolate to go, and sleigh the day away! 

TAKE A SNOWMOBILE RIDE 

Looking for a bit more adrenaline? Consider renting a snowmobile for a day. You can take the whole family along and explore the numerous trails throughout the province. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, make it a weekend trip! 

PARTICIPATE IN WINTER EVENTS 

Outdoor events aren’t just for the long, warm summer days; there are so many winter events you can check out. Prepare for a day (or weekend) of fun with some of the events listed below, or check out To Do Canada’s website for even more options! 

  1. Beaver Days  
    Beaver Days in Falcon Lake is an event that’s fun for all ages. This yearly winter celebration has a variety of activities such as a snowmobile poker derby, family skating, and kids’ floor curling. Check it out from February 10 to 12. It’s guaranteed to be a (snow) ball of fun! 
  1. KidFish Ice Derby 
    If you’re looking for a fun winter activity and to help a good cause, get tickets to the KidFish Ice Derby. In support of Cancer Care Manitoba and the Children’s Hospital, this event introduces kids of all ages to ice fishing while raising fund for sick kids and their families. Spend the day ice fishing, be entered to win prizes, and support an important cause! 
  1. Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival 
    Join the celebrations at the 75th Annual Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival! Located in The Pas, this five-day festival is full of activities and events for the whole family. Watch the dog sled races, peruse the craft show for locally-made products, or join some friendly competitions such as the poker derby, street hockey skills competition, or the junior jigging contest. This is one you won’t want to miss! 

Home energy retrofits

BIG PROJECTS,
BIG SAVINGS

If you’re planning on making major energy efficiency upgrades to your home, we have a new offer just for you! Your project could qualify for rebates through our Home Energy Retrofits. Whole-home energy retrofits significantly decrease your energy bills and lower your carbon footprint. They also improve the comfort, durability, indoor air quality, and resilience of your home. 

You may be wondering: what exactly is a home energy retrofit? Also called “deep energy” retrofits, they’re large renovation projects that significantly reduce the energy a home or building uses. Home energy retrofits significantly improve occupant comfort, improve indoor air quality, and cut annual building energy consumption by 50% to 100%. 

Because each home is unique, the upgrades selected for each project will also be unique. Home energy retrofits usually involve major upgrades to building envelope components and mechanical systems. A typical retrofit project may involve adding insulation, performing detailed air sealing work, and replacing windows and doors. These upgrades are often accompanied by new and more efficient heating systems such as air source or ground source heat pumps. In cases where efficiency goals are most ambitious, adding renewables like solar photovoltaics (solar panels that convert light into electricity) can be a final step.

Before starting a home energy retrofit and to qualify for rebates, you’ll need to get expert advice and guidance from a Registered Energy Advisor through an EnerGuide audit. And to maximize your savings and lower the cost of your project even more, you can stack our rebate with the grants and loan available through the Canada Greener Homes Initiative.  

Are you ready to get started on your energy efficiency project? Contact an EnerGuide service organization that serves your area. They’ll send an energy advisor to conduct an EnerGuide evaluation on your home. Once you have your retrofit project planned out, be sure to apply and get approval from us before you start any work. 


Project feature: Rolling Acres Colony Farms Ltd.

HOW WE HELPED ROLLING ACRES THROUGH OUR CUSTOM ENERGY SOLUTIONS PROGRAM

Rolling Acres Colony Farms Ltd, located in Eden, was looking for support to replace their electric boilers with a bioenergy system using wood chips. They had expressed a strong desire to implement this type of project and we were able to help them turn their vision into a reality. Through our Custom Energy Solutions Program, we provided them with our very first financial incentive for the implementation of a large-scale biomass project in the province!   

THE PROJECT

During the winter months, Rolling Acres had been using electric boilers to heat their truck shop and hog barn. The truck shop was equipped with an in-floor water heating system connected to two 150 kW rated boilers. The hog barn was heated with a combination of in-floor heat and radiators using hot water supplied by two 100 kW rated electric boilers.  

Initially, Rolling Acres had planned on purchasing a brand-new biomass system to make the switch from electric heating to bioenergy. Instead, they were able to significantly lower their project costs by modifying an old and decommissioned coal-fired boiler into a biomass boiler that could burn wood chips as its biomass fuel source. The wood chips are a by-product from a sawmill conveniently located within five miles of Rolling Acres and were purchased as a low-cost fuel option.  

The biomass boiler was only one component of this project. A solution for the storage and handling of the biomass material also had to be addressed. This biomass boiler system required significant space to store the wood chips, as well as to house the walking floor and conveyance system that moves the wood chips. As a result, a brand-new building had to be constructed. The walking floor uses hydraulic operated cylinders to push the wood chips along the floor to an auger feed system which transports the wood chips to the boiler.  

THE SAVINGS

Switching from electric boilers to a biomass boiler resulted in verified annual energy savings of over 750,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh). They can expect the savings associated with replacing their electric heating with bioenergy to be close to $47,000 annually. 

Not only will they save energy and money on their annual energy bills, we were able to provide Rolling Acres with an incentive of $112,700 following the program’s thorough measurement and verification procedures. 

We’re very happy to have had our new biomass heating system up and running last January. When we approached Efficiency Manitoba about this project, they were eager to provide support and were there to answer our questions. The heating system is working excellently, and we’ve already seen the benefits and savings on our energy bills. Our hope is to expand this system to heat residences on the colony in the future.”

Johnny Hofer
Member of Rolling Acres

ARE YOU LOOKING TO MAKE YOUR FACILITY MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT?

If you’re interested in making your industrial, commercial, or agricultural facility more energy efficient, we’re here to help. We have the expertise to help you identify energy-saving opportunities and financial incentives to help you implement your project. 


Project feature: Grassie Villa Apartments and MJ Lighting & Electrical

HELPING MANITOBANS SAVE WITH OUR BUSINESS LIGHTING PROGRAM

Our Business Lighting Program offers financial incentives for businesses that make energy-efficient upgrades to the lighting in their building.  

Together with MJ Lighting & Electrical, we recently worked with Grassie Villa to upgrade the lighting in their common areas through our Business Lighting Program. Not only will they save energy and money for years to come, we also provided them with an incentive for their upgrade! 

THE PROJECT

Grassie Villa is a non-profit, life lease apartment complex managed by Murdoch Management. Located at 1395 Molson Street in Winnipeg, the building has 32 units and is for residents who are 55 and older.   

In apartment buildings like Grassie Villa, we provide incentives for lighting upgrades in any common spaces, including outdoor areas, entryways, hallways, and laundry rooms. 

When Grassie Villa decided it was time for an upgrade, MJ Lighting & Electrical was there to help. They upgraded the lighting in the common areas of their building by removing the old incandescent, fluorescent, and high-pressure sodium lighting, and replacing them with LEDs. 

THE SAVINGS

Grassie Villa is realizing significant benefits from upgrading their lighting: 

190,000 kWh and $9,000 savings

This program is so helpful to non-profit organizations“.

Donna Leeies
Manager, Murdoch Management

Beyond the electricity and bill savings, we were also able to provide them with an incentive of $8,048 plus a bonus customer incentive of $2,012, for a total incentive of $10,060!  

You can take advantage of the bonus incentive too. We’re offering an additional 25% customer bonus on all lighting projects for applications completed before March 31, 2023. 

THE PROCESS

Applying for incentives has never been easier with our new online application system, myEM. Building owners can apply themselves, or their lighting suppliers or contractors can apply on their behalf.  

MJ Lighting & Electrical provides lighting and electrical solutions for businesses of all sizes. They offer full-service lighting upgrades including assessment, design, supply, and installation. They’ve submitted hundreds of Efficiency Manitoba applications for their customers, so they’re well-versed in collecting all the necessary information and submitting applications through their myEM account. 

“Everything went very smoothly,” Donna said about the application process. 

When an application is submitted by a contractor, the building owner receives an email with a link to sign the application—no logins or accounts are required. We then send the approval to both the contractor and the building owner, and the project can get started. 

Once the lighting is installed, the contractor will send us the invoice through myEM. The building owner will receive another email with a link to sign off on a completion declaration. After that, we’ll mail you your incentive cheque! 

ARE YOU A BUILDING OWNER?

Building owners or their lighting suppliers or contractors can apply for financial incentives through the Business Lighting Program on our website. Check out our program guide to see our incentive rates and eligibility requirements.  

ARE YOU A LIGHTING SUPPLIER OR CONTRACTOR?

We encourage you to join our supplier network. You’ll be listed on our website as a registered Efficiency Manitoba supplier and can offer our programs to your customers. You’ll also have access to training opportunities and materials offered by our team of experts and can promote our energy efficiency programs in your advertising. The best part? It’s free to register and participate!  


Colleen’s corner: Happy holidays!

It’s hard to believe another year is already coming to an end. As we transition into post-pandemic life, I find myself looking at the past couple of years and feeling grateful for the perseverance and strength of all Manitobans. We should all be proud of our resilience and how far we’ve come from a place of such uncertainty and look forward to the bright new year ahead.  

As an organization whose commencement coincided with a global pandemic, we understand the hardships that all Manitobans have had to overcome. It’s our goal to continue to adapt to an ever-changing world while providing opportunities to help you save energy, money, and the environment.  

We’ve hit many milestones this past year, including launching new programs, rebates, and incentives to further help Manitobans lower their energy use and put money back in their pockets. Our Solar Rebate Program, Air Source Heat Pump Program, Deep Energy Retrofits, and Generation E are just a few of the offers we introduced in 2022, and we look forward introducing new programs and enhanced offers in 2023.  

The past few months have been a whirlwind of events and outings for me. It’s served as an important reminder that making face-to-face connections with people can be so powerful. We should all be very grateful to have the ability to interact with each other in person once again, whether it’s one-on-one or large group gatherings. I’m very thankful for that opportunity and eager to connect with more Manitobans in the new year. 

Have a fantastic, safe, and healthy holiday season and year ahead. I look forward to continuing our work with Manitobans to bring energy efficiency to the forefront of your homes, businesses, and communities. 

Colleen Kuruluk
Chief Executive Officer, Efficiency Manitoba