Union Gas helps Nipigon District Memorial Hospital with grants

More than $30,000 from company helped back a $1.2M energy retrofit project

NIPIGON, ON, April 8, 2013 /CNW/ - Union Gas is helping the Nipigon District Memorial Hospital become more energy efficient courtesy of $30,000 worth of incentive grants.

The energy updates to the hospital, which has 37 beds and serves more than 5,500 people in its catchment area, are part of a $1.2 million energy retrofit project. The project not only covered natural gas savings, but electric, water and waste initiatives as well. In total, the improvements are expected to deliver $110,000 in annual savings.

"By assisting the hospital to save money through energy efficiency, it can allocate those savings towards other priorities that directly affect patient care," said Union Gas Northwest District Manager David Sword.

This project was completed as a result of a number of partners in the energy business, and can be viewed as an example of energy stewardship by Union Gas to the communities it serves.

The retrofit began as a joint initiative where the Ontario Hospital Association and a program called the Green Hospital Champion Fund partnered with Union Gas to provide financial support to various hospitals to conduct energy audits of their current facilities. From the audit conducted by Honeywell, a number of energy saving opportunities were identified. The hospital then entered into an energy savings performance contract with Honeywell to complete specific facility upgrades — work that would deliver a guaranteed reduction of energy consumption while addressing critical infrastructure needs.

"This is a great example of organizations coming together to find innovative ways to renew and improve a facility that's integral to the community," said Luis Rodrigues, vice president of Energy and Environmental Solutions for Honeywell Building Solutions.

"Union Gas was pleased to be involved with this project. It fits within our culture of energy conservation," said Tim Pagee, account manager, commercial/industrial markets, for Union Gas. Pagee was on hand in Nipigon to hand the cheque over to hospital leaders.

"We appreciate the assistance of partners such as Union Gas to make these much-needed energy updates possible. The result will be lower future energy costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions" said Dan Hill, chief financial and operating officer at the Nipigon District Memorial Hospital.

Union Gas has robust energy efficiency programs for residents and for business customers, which helps them save millions of dollars in total every year. Since it first began offering these programs in 1997, Union Gas customers have saved over 5.2 billion cubic metres of natural gas and reduced their carbon monoxide emissions by the equivalent of removing 1.7 million cars from Ontario's roads for a year. For more information visit uniongas.com/savemoneyandenergy.

About the Nipigon District Memorial Hospital
The Nipigon District Memorial Hospital's completion in 1992 brought health care under one roof in Nipigon. Extended care, chronic care, acute care, and respite care beds are available for the 5,500 people served by the hospital's catchment area.

About Union Gas
Union Gas Limited is a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with 100 years of experience and service to customers. The distribution business serves about 1.4 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in more than 400 communities across northern, southwestern and eastern Ontario. Union Gas, named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2011, 2012 and 2013, is a Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE) company with assets of $5.8 billion and approximately 2,200 employees. For more information, visit uniongas.com. Connect with us: 
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SOURCE: Union Gas Limited

Union Gas Limited 
Andrea Stass
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