Union Gas investment in Waterloo office demonstrates commitment to environmental conservation

LEED refurbishment used sustainable design, construction, operations practices

WATERLOO, ON, May 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Union Gas today celebrated the official opening of its newly-renovated Waterloo regional office, which has been completely refurbished to meet prestigious international standards for sustainable buildings.

The Union Gas office has been renovated to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards (LEED^®EB) for existing buildings, which are established by the Canada Green Building Council - a national organization that certifies buildings that are green, sustainable and protect the environment. LEED is an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

Ken Seiling, chair of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and City of Waterloo councillors Scott Witmer and Angela Vieth, were on hand to assist Union Gas president Steve Baker and Murray Costello, the company's district manager for Waterloo/Brantford, with today's ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

"This building showcases some of the best environmental technologies available today and is part of our larger plan to reduce our energy consumption and lighten our environmental footprint," said Baker. "This investment reinforces our commitment to environmental conservation and to supporting vibrant communities."

Almost $7 million was invested to overhaul the existing building, which now features state-of-the-art energy and environmental technologies including:

• High-efficiency gas-fired condensing boilers, water heaters, air cooling units and energy-efficient windows and lighting that reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling
• Computerized control of lighting, heating and cooling systems
• A building design that will provide 90 per cent of employees with natural lighting in their workspace, reducing the need for electrical lighting
• Plumbing fixtures and electronic sensor faucets that minimize water usage.

In addition, building products were chosen for their recycled content and environmental sustainability, and construction waste was recycled.

"I want to congratulate Union Gas for taking a cutting-edge approach to energy efficiency.They continue to be leaders when it comes to energy conservation with their highly visible programs and their involvement in our communities," said Seiling.

Union Gas has three Gold LEED^® certified regional buildings in Burlington, Windsor and Kingston. The company has also introduced conservation measures in each of its 60 other buildings across Ontario, including a retrofit of existing lighting that has reduced the associated electricity consumption by up to 58 per cent, installation of water-saving devices that use up to 40 per cent less water, an anti-idling program for company vehicles and an automated system that places all personal computers on low-power mode after business hours.

Union Gas has been a pioneer in designing and delivering demand side management programs for residential, commercial and industrial customers aimed at encouraging energy conservation. These programs have helped Union Gas customers avoid 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions - the equivalent to removing about 329,000 cars from Ontario roads each year.

For more information, visit uniongas.com/environment.

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 and one of Canada's Greenest Employers for 2012, is a Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE) company with assets of $5.8 billion and approximately 2,200 employees. For more information, visit uniongas.com.

Union Gas Limited 
Andrea Stass, Manager, External Communications and Media Relations
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