Posted on 11th August 2010 by admin in Sustainability
energy efficiency, Insulation, Utility Bills
Nope, this isn’t a new contest from GNI. Instead of being one of the 5 lucky winners of our Toques on to a Warm Home, Warm Heart campaign, imagine not having to pay for heat and hydro forever.
Well, in a demonstration home in Kamloops, this is exactly the case. In a demonstration home in Kamloops, a 3,000 square foot home has been built in the Sun Rivers development that is so loaded with energy efficient features that the net cost for a year’s worth of electricity will be zero.
Some highlights of the homes features include
- Insulation rating of the exterior walls of R44 (compared to R12 for conventional fibreglass insulation)
- A living-room waterfall (!) that balances the interior humidity
- Hot water recovery system
- Geothermal energy system
These and the rest of the features, combined with the use of renewable resources in the house as truly make this a “Green Dream Home”
See the full article here
Posted on 3rd August 2010 by admin in Miscellaneous
Congratulations to the winners of the Toques on to a Warm Home, Warm Heart campaign.
The winners are:
Cathy & Chris McCartney, Hamilton
George Choremis, Toronto
Jacob Wagler, Straffordville
Kevin Martin, Kirkfield
Stephanie McMullen, Owen Sound
All 5 winners will receive their heat & hydro bills paid for the remainder of the year, retroactive from the month insulation work was completed, to a maximum payment of $2,500!
For more details of the draw, click here to read the article in the Sentinel-Review newspaper.
Posted on 28th July 2010 by admin in Miscellaneous
Great Northern Insulation is proud to have donated 1,450 blankets to the Woodstock Salvation Army that will be distributed at our five branches located in Woodstock, Muskoka, Durham, Barrie, and Milton.
From a local news article:
President Steve Ressor said the initiative was the result of a new company focus on sustainability, and is part of a dual campaign to raise awareness about the need for energy retrofits and a desire to give back to the community. For every job purchased by customers between February and the end of June, a blanket was donated. “It was a good way to combine both initiatives,” he said. “It was a pretty simple idea and something we could easily do. “It was a good way to give back.”
The full news article can be found here and we’ll also be announcing the winners of our contest on our website, check back soon!
Posted on 6th July 2010 by admin in Miscellaneous
The Toques on to a Warm Home, Warm Heart campaign ended at midnight on June 30, 2010. Great Northern Insulation is currently processing all entries received. Five (5) lucky winners will be drawn on Thursday, July 22, 2010 and winners will be contacted by phone the week of July 26, 2010. If you had insulation work complete and paid for between February 1 – June 30, 2010 you have been automatically entered into the grand prize draw for a chance to win your utility bills paid for the rest of the year to a maximum of $2,500. Good luck and thank you for choosing Great Northern Insulation!
Posted on 5th July 2010 by admin in Miscellaneous
The Globe and Mail recently featured an article on the top ten ways to save homeowners money. Coming in at number 2 on that list was insulation. Here’s what the Globe & Mail had to say:
The quickest way to save money on your energy bill is to insulate, yet so many of us overlook this simple home improvement project for its benefits. Sure, your walls are insulated, but what about your basement, your attic, and your garage? Just in case the energy cost savings aren’t enticing enough for you, check with the government – there are current credits that allow you to deduct this energy-saving expense from your taxes.
You can read the full article here.
Contact us for a free quote!
Posted on 16th June 2010 by admin in Miscellaneous |Sustainability
BP, Obama, Oil Spill, Svanberg
Yesterday, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg gave a press conference after BP’s meeting with President Obama at the White House. Svanberg announced that the company would “…contribute $20 billion over a four-year period at a rate of $5 billion per year, including $5 billion within 2010.” The money will be used to pay back the victims of the massive oil spill who Svanberg also referred to as the “small people”
The exact quote was:
“We care about the small people. I hear comments sometimes that large oil companies or greedy companies that don’t care, but that is not the case at BP. We care about the small people.”
This brings up the important question of if we can really put a price on the ecosystems and natural processes that everyone rely on including clean air, clean water, and everything else that the earth provides for us.
I’m glad to see BP being held accountable for what has happened, but this only goes to act as a very painful reminder of the need to cut down our dependence on oil and make a transition to cleaner energy sources.
Of course there are costs associated by this transition, but as President Obama recently said on Tuesday in a National Address “…I say we can’t afford not to change how re produce and use energy—because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater,”
I couldn’t agree more… and I’m just one of the ‘small people’.
Posted on 7th June 2010 by admin in Miscellaneous |Sustainability |ecoEnergy Grant
GNI, greenwashing, Insulation, Life Cycle, Sustainability
Great Northern Insulation is proud to offer WALLTITE ECO™, an environmentally responsible insulation product that contains zero ozone depleting chemicals, and is made from recycled materials, and renewable content that does not compromise food production.
Optimized through BASF’s award winning1 Eco-Efficiency Analysis, which assesses the sustainability of a product or manufacturing process over its entire lifecycle from “cradle to grave”. BASF’s Eco-Efficiency Analysis has been certified by NSF International and ensures WALLTITE Eco™ is environmentally responsible at every stage of its lifecycle.
With WALLTITE ECO™, you are guaranteed a product that is free of “greenwashing” 2 and one that you can trust. WALLTITE ECO™ has attained EcoLogo™ certification – North America’s most widely recognized and respected multi-attribute environmental certification mark. Be sure to check back soon where we’ll go into more detail on the advantages of WALLTITE ECO™ and the money it can save you. In the meantime, call us at 1-800-256-1914 or visit www.gni.ca for more information.
1 To date, the BASF Eco-efficiency Analysis process has won three major awards: the Design for Sustainability Award (Society of Plastics Engineers), the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), and the Best Sustainable Practice Award in the Sustainable Research, Development, Construction Process and Demonstration (Sustainable Buildings Industry Council).
2 Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.
Posted on 31st May 2010 by admin in Miscellaneous
energy audit, energy efficiency, Great Northern Insulation, Insulation, Utility Bills
Think of your house as a composition of various different components that work together to form a single interdependent system. People that live in the house, heating, cooling and ventilation components, along with the construction materials the house is made of all interact to form this interdependent system. Any changes made to one component of a house can affect other components. For this reason, a house can be very similar to the human body. Like the human body, a house also needs to breath, regulate temperatures, and protect the inside environment from the outside environment. Similarly, the house is also a very delicate system; changes to the system should be made considering all components in mind.
For instance, if your house is cold or drafty it is recommended that you eliminate air leaks from the buildings envelope before investing in a high efficiency furnace. Otherwise, the furnace will be constantly running just to maintain a comfortable temperature level. Likewise high-efficiency windows won’t prevent condensation problems if they are improperly sealed or insulated, the humidifier on the furnace has not been adjusted or if bathroom exhaust fans are rarely used or are improperly ventilated.
A properly functioning home incorporates air tightness and good ventilation. Have one of our NRCan certified energy advisors test your houses system for energy efficiency. We guarantee that any upgrades we recommend will follow the principals of a ‘house as a system’, and will have your house running more efficiently. Contact us today to book your energy audit.
Posted on 25th May 2010 by admin in Sustainability
energy efficiency, Great Northern Insulation, home renovation, Insulation, insulation retrofit, Utility Bills
What does it mean to be green? Why is one product better than another product? How much energy will I save by adding more insulation to my attic, basement, or walls? More importantly, how much money can I save?
These are all important questions to ask when making any home renovation decision. Home renovation can include retro-fitting a home with extra insulation. It is even possible to add insulation to existing walls. These renovations can result in significant savings – both in the winter and summer months – on heating and cooling costs.
Homes and buildings are built to a minimum code that is enforced by government and professional agencies. It is important to note that minimum code does not mean being green. However, home renovations such as retro-fit insulation projects can significantly increase your home’s energy sustainability and significantly decrease your carbon footprint.
So, how do you know what retro-fit project is best for you and your home? How do you know what options you have given your specific situation? Ask us 
At Great Northern Insulation, our Sales Staff can help advise and educate you on your options to make your home more energy efficient. Call us at any time. Our sales staff can visit your home, explain your retro-fit options, and provide you with a quote.
Why might you need a quote from a Sales Representative? There are many reasons. Do you find it uncomfortably hot inside? Are your cooling costs higher than they should be? Is your air conditioner working harder than it should? Do you have mold growing in your basement? Any of these issues could indicate an existing problem with insulation. If you experience any one of these problems, call us for a free in-home assessment and quote.
In the meantime, if you would like to do some extra research on the benefits of extra insulation, you can find a good resource here at CMHC’s website. Happy reading
Posted on 19th May 2010 by admin in Government
Green Construction, home renovation, Insulation, Standards
When looking to reduce their GHG emissions, many consumers look to transportation, by driving a more fuel efficient vehicle or simply driving less. However, the effect of buildings is often overlooked, “Buildings account for as much as 48 per cent of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions…” according to Thomas Mueller, president of the Canada Green Building Council.
Greening our buildings to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified levels can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to Canada’s Model National Energy Code for Buildings.
So why have more people not pushed for more green buildings (either new constructions or building retrofits)? There is a perception that green cost more, however on average, green buildings cost about 2 per cent more than conventional ones.
Green government grants and other incentives have boosted the green building sector, but few guidelines or quality-control standards are currently in place. This has turned some homeowners green dreams into nightmares.
Until updated building standards are in place, that incorporate energy conservation and new green technologies (expected 2011), it is important to choose a contractor that you can trust. With over 30 year of experience in the insulation industry, GNI is committed to doing things the right way, the first time. Contact us today and experience what a true professional contractor can do for you.
