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RELEASE DATE	SUBJECT
April 30	Guelph Hydro's Sustainability Report Named Runner-Up in Global Award Program - Recognized for Excellence in Corporate Responsibility Reporting (GUELPH, ON) April 30, 2012 - Guelph Hydro Inc. is proud to announce that its 2010 Sustainability Report has been named 2^nd Runner-Up in the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise(SME) Category of the global Corporate Responsibility Reporting Awards 2012 (CRRA'12). This award program recognizes the very best in corporate responsibility reporting and is the largest online annual reporting competition worldwide. This year's competition attracted 93 entries from 27 countries and registered more than 6,000 votes. Guelph Hydro's inaugural Sustainability Report (http://bit.ly/GuelphHydroCRReport) showcases the company's evolving strategy to integrate sustainable business practices into its day-to-day operations as well as its plans for sustainable energy projects (solar energy, district energy, combined heat and power, and biogas) that support Ontario's Green Energy and Economy Act and Guelph's Community Energy Initiative. The company's 2011 report will be published in June 2012. For more information, please click on this link.
March 29	Turn off lights and participate in this year's Earth Hour! Ten things you can do to show your support of Earth Hour Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. is reminding Guelph and Rockwood residents and local businesses to show their support for Earth Hour this weekend by turning off all non-essential lights between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 31. In addition to turning off all its non-essential interior and exterior building lights during Earth Hour, Guelph Hydro will be tweeting reminders leading up to and during Earth Hour (@guelphhydro). The company will also use Twitter to report provincial results as soon as they are known. Results for the Guelph community will be compiled and reported on Monday, April 2. (More ...)
Feb 29	Guelph Hydro Presents Linamar with Rebate Cheque for $843,868 for Energy Efficiency Improvements Businesses that Install Energy-Efficient Retrofits Can Earn Up to 50 Per Cent of Project Costs Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. presented Linamar Corporation with a saveONenergy RETROFIT PROGRAM rebate cheque for $843,868 for energy-efficient lighting retrofits conducted in 19 of their manufacturing facilities in Guelph. By replacing old, inefficient lighting with new, energy-efficient lighting, Linamar will reduce their demand load by 1.9 MW and annual energy consumption by 10.1 GWh, which is equivalent to the amount of power used by 1,060 homes in a year and a greenhouse gas reduction of 2,121 metric tonnes. The payback period for the cost of these lighting projects is less than one year, thanks to the RETROFIT PROGRAM rebates as well as the ensuing reduction in electricity costs due to the reduced consumption. (More...)
Feb 17	Get Energy Efficient and Have Fun on Family Day Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. encourages customers to use Family Day as an opportunity to teach children about energy conservation. Borrow a Kill-a-Watt™ meter from the Guelph Public Library and run some "experiments" to find out how much energy each of your appliances and other electrical equipment uses. Then come up with ideas to reduce consumption. For more information about borrowing a Kill-a-Watt meter, contact your local library branch. *(More ...)*
Feb 10	Falling in Love with Energy Efficiency Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. encourages customers to turn on the romance while turning down energy consumption on Valentine's Day. (More ...)
Jan 23	Ingenious Energy Conservation Comic Challenge Inspires Kids to Conserve Electricity Grade Five students create webcomics to demonstrate ways to save energy Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. has launched the Guelph Hydro Energy Conservation Comic Challenge* encouraging students in Grade Five classrooms in 35 schools in Guelph and Rockwood, Ontario, to create original Bitstrips comic strips to demonstrate how to conserve electricity in their homes and schools. (More ...)
Jan 18	Keeping the Lights On in Guelph ? as Usual Delivering a safe, reliable supply of electricity continues to be the prime objective of local utility Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. would like to reassure its customers that the safety and reliability of its electricity network is not at risk. "Ontario's electricity distribution utilities have been providing customers with a safe and reliable supply of electricity for more than 100 years," notes Barry Chuddy, CEO of Guelph Hydro Inc. "While it is true that some utilities in Ontario will require extraordinary funding for capital expenditures over the next few years to refurbish or replace aging infrastructure, others such as Guelph Hydro, have robust, well-maintained networks that will only need a manageable amount of capital investment." *(More...)*
Jan 5	Municipal World Magazine Article - A Powerhouse of a Partnership - Building a Sustainable Energy Future in Guelph Guelph Hydro's sustainability efforts and the company's relationship with the City of Guelph have been profiled in an article in the January 2012 Energy edition of Municipal World magazine (www.municipalworld.com). This magazine is distributed to municipal leaders across Canada. According to experts, a reliable, sustainable energy supply is and will continue to be a key ingredient in the long-term competitiveness and prosperity of cities. With this thought in mind, the City of Guelph and its municipally-owned utility, Guelph Hydro Inc., are pioneering a collaborative approach to municipal energy planning and management designed to move the community towards a sustainable energy future with a reduced carbon footprint. *(More...)*
Nov. 11	Light Up Your Home for the Holidays With 20 Cents Worth of Electricity Decorating our homes for the holidays with festive lights is a much-loved tradition that is also inexpensive thanks to energy-efficient LED lights and Time-of-Use rates for electricity. LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are almost 95 per cent more energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs - resulting in reduced costs for your holiday lighting. This fact, coupled with off-peak Time-of-Use rates for electricity evenings, weekends and statutory holidays, means that holiday lighting will likely cost you less than a cent a day. (Note: Off-peak rates for electricity start at 7 PM during the week and are in effect all weekend and on statutory holidays.) *(More ...)*
Nov. 7	Guelph Hydro Participating in Transatlantic Urban Climate Dialogue Community Energy Planning a Focus of International Study Guelph Hydro Inc. participated recently as a member of a delegation from the City of Guelph attending the Transatlantic Urban Climate Dialogue organized by the Environmental Public Policy Research Centre at the Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany. The Transatlantic Urban Climate Dialogue is bringing together North American and German policy makers, technical experts, business leaders, and academics to share perspectives about challenges associated with developing and implementing energy conservation initiatives and using community energy projects to transform urban settings. The first workshop entitled, "Urban development in the Ruhr Region (Germany) and Integrated Local Energy Planning" took place from October 17-19. The meeting showcased a variety of community energy projects. (More ...)
Sept. 23	Guelph Hydro Earns Prestigious Safety Award Unique program recognized by Electrical Safety Authority as providing significant contribution towards advancing public electrical safety awareness Four local electricity distribution companies (LDCs) — Cambridge and North Dumfries Hydro Inc., Guelph Hydro Inc., Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc., and Waterloo North Hydro Inc. — jointly received a Powerline Safety award at the Electrical Safety Authority's (ESA) "Achievements in Electrical Safety" event in Mississauga, Ontario. The ESA presents the Ontario Electrical Safety Awards to recognize outstanding contributions to safety in those areas that present the greatest harm to Ontarians. These four local distribution companies were celebrated for establishing a unique partnership that delivers targeted safety programs and training to key groups throughout the communities they serve. (More ...)
Sept. 16	Guelph Hydro Named Large Company of the Year by the Ontario Energy Association Recognized for industry leadership in sustainability Guelph Hydro Inc. has been named "Large Company of the Year" by the Ontario Energy Association (OEA). This award is given by the association to a company in the Ontario energy sector that sets higher standards for best practices and exceeded objectives in completing a program or program. Guelph Hydro received the OEA Large Company of the Year award for excelling in a number of areas, including demonstrating leadership in the field of sustainability, evidenced by the publication of an industry best practice Sustainability Report and the installation of one of Ontario's first rooftop solar facilities on its head office in Guelph. The Guelph Hydro 2010 Sustainability Report showcases Guelph Hydro Inc.'s evolving strategy to integrate sustainable business practices into its day-to-day operations as well as its development plans for community-based sustainable energy projects that support Ontario's Green Energy and Economy Act and Guelph's Community Energy Initiative. (More...)
Sept 14	Guelph Hydro Announces Appointment of New Board Members Jan Carr, Robert Huggard, Margaret Kelch and Judy Fountain bring additional utility sector experience to the boards of Guelph Hydro Guelph Hydro Inc., a holding company, 100 per cent owned by the City of Guelph and consisting of Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc., the local electricity distribution company that delivers electricity to Guelph and Rockwood, and Ecotricity Guelph Inc., an alternative energy company, announces the appointment of a number of new Board members. (More ...)
July 22	Guelph Hydro Publishes its First Sustainability Report Environmental, social and economic performance delivers benefits to customers and the community Guelph Hydro Inc. is proud to announce the release of its first annual sustainability report which summarizes the company's performance in 2010 and outlines the organization's efforts to balance environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic success to benefit all stakeholders. Publishing this annual sustainability report showcases Guelph Hydro Inc.'s evolving strategy to integrate sustainable business practices into its day-to-day operations as well as its plans for development of community-based sustainable energy projects that support Ontario's Green Energy and Economy Act and Guelph's Community Energy Initiative. With the publication of the Guelph Hydro Inc. 2010 Sustainability Report, Guelph Hydro Inc. becomes not only one of the first electrical utilities in Ontario to publish a sustainability report, but also one of only a few utilities around the world to measure its performance against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the most widely used standardized framework in the world for reporting an organization's environmental, social and economic performance. (More...)
July 18	Conserving Energy During a Heat Wave Cool Energy Conservation Tips from Guelph Hydro With the temperatures expected to hit 36 degrees Celsius by Thursday and 20,000 Guelph residents having been notified by letter that they are now on Time-of-Use rates for electricity, Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. is encouraging customers to be mindful of how and when they use their air conditioners this summer to help avoid high electricity bills. (More ...)
July 13	Guelph Hydro Inc.'s New Website Highlights Sustainable Energy Activities Solar energy, district energy, combined heat and power, bioenergy and electric vehicles featured on new website Guelph Hydro Inc., the primary developer and implementer of sustainable energy projects under the City of Guelph's Community Energy Initiative, has launched a newly designed website - www.guelphhydroinc.com. This new website provides information about: Guelph Hydro's sustainability commitment Sustainable energy projects in four key areas of focus that will help decrease greenhouse gases and reduce Guelph's carbon footprint -- solar energy, district energy, combined heat and power/cogeneration, and bioenergy Upcoming sustainable energy events Company operations - including a link to the Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. site for information about the local electricity distribution company that delivers a safe and reliable supply of electricity and energy conservation programs to 50,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Guelph and Rockwood, Ontario (More ...)
June 28	Guelph Hydro Recognized for Safety Guelph Hydro Inc. has received the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association ZeroQuest® Outcomes Level II award for safety excellence. ZeroQuest® Outcomes Award ZeroQuest® is designed to assist companies in building a sustainable health and safety program using a four-level process: Commitment, Effort, Outcomes and Sustainability. In order to be awarded the ZeroQuest® Outcomes award, Guelph Hydro was required to assess efforts to maintain and sustain its health and safety systems, while checking and identifying areas for improvement and correcting any deficiencies. (More ...)
June 27	Guelph Hydro's "Green" Facility Receives LEED® Certification Office building is a testament to the company's commitment to sustainability Guelph Hydro is pleased to announce that Phase II of its office on Southgate Drive in Guelph has officially received LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the Canada Green Building Council. The 3,344 square metre addition built in 2005/2006, features many energy-efficient and sustainable characteristics including a ground-source geo-thermal heating and cooling system, high-efficiency plumbing and lighting, and drought resistant and native species landscaping. (More ...)
June 24	Ready for the Summer Sun: Guelph Hydro Rooftop Solar Panels Generating Electricity for Ontario Just in time to take advantage of the summer sun, the solar panels installed on the roof of Guelph Hydro's facility at 395 Southgate Drive are up and running, generating power for Ontarians under the Ontario Power Authority's Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program. The 504 photovoltaic solar panels, manufactured by Canadian Solar Inc., can generate up to 100 kilowatts of clean, renewable electricity that will be fed into the Ontario electricity grid. Guelph Hydro Inc. was awarded a 20-year Feed-in Tariff (FIT) contract by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) under Ontario's Green Energy and Economy Act. The system is expected to generate approximately 115,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year - enough clean energy to power approximately 11 homes. (More...)
March 28	Guelph Hydro Presents Green Sacred Spaces Awards Unitarian Congregation of Guelph and Dublin St. United Church recognized for their efforts to reduce energy consumption and improve the environment Guelph Hydro Inc. is the proud sponsor of the first Green Sacred Spaces Awards of Excellence presented in the Guelph community. Representatives of the Unitarian Congregation of Guelph and Dublin Street United Church were presented with their awards by Guelph Hydro, the Trillium Foundation and Greening Sacred Spaces Waterloo/Wellington/Dufferin during Transition Guelph's Resilience 2011 event held on Saturday, March 26. (More ...)
March 24	Get Involved: Turn off lights and Participate in this Year's Earth Hour! Community asked to reduce non-essential energy use to raise awareness for global campaign Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. is reminding Guelph and Rockwood residents and local businesses to show their support for Earth Hour this weekend by turning off all non-essential lights between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 26. (More...)
February 8	Guelph Hydro Measuring Interest in Electric Vehicles Telephone survey to be conducted this month Guelph Hydro Inc. will be conducting a telephone survey during the month of February to measure the Guelph community's interest in electric vehicles and obtain information that will be useful in planning for the demands electric cars may put on the local electricity grid, once they become available in Canada. (More...)
Dec. 16, 2010	Reindeer Better Watch Out for Rooftop Solar Installations Solar photovoltaic panels installed on roof of Guelph Hydro building Guelph Hydro Inc. has sent a message to the North Pole to advise Santa and his reindeer about the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Guelph Hydro facility at 395 Southgate Drive. (More...)
August 17, 2010	Landmark District Energy Feasibility Study Evaluates Potential Clean Energy Projects for Guelph District Energy study provides a roadmap for city planners considering combined heat and power plants as part of their sustainable energy planning for communities Guelph Hydro Inc., along with Union Gas, the City of Guelph and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, recently commissioned and produced an in-depth study about the feasibility of Developing a Downtown District Energy System for the City of Guelph Using a Combined Heat and Power Facility. The study was made available to attendees at the Association of Municipalities conference in Windsor, Ontario this week. (More...)
August 16, 2010	Guelph Hydro to Implement Sustainable Energy Projects for City of Guelph Rooftop solar, biogas and district energy being explored under the Community Energy Initiative The City of Guelph recently named Guelph Hydro Inc. asthe primary developer and implementer of energy-related projects under the City's Community Energy Initiative. (More ...)

Newsroom

Turn off lights and participate in this year's Earth Hour!

Ingenious Energy Conservation Comic Challenge Inspires Kids to Conserve Electricity

Municipal World Magazine Article - A Powerhouse of a Partnership - Building a Sustainable Energy Future in Guelph

Guelph Hydro Announces Appointment of New Board Members

Conserving Energy During a Heat Wave

Guelph Hydro Inc.'s New Website Highlights Sustainable Energy Activities