Cold beer, warm house

Those who follow through on the home energy evaluation recommendations can achieve an average reduction of 30 per cent in energy use.

Representatives with Clean Nova Scotia were delighted when Oland Brewery approached them to partner on the initiative.

The organization has a strategic goal of a 25 per cent reduction in home energy use across the province for their 20th anniversary this year and they are actively seeking ways to reach all of Nova Scotia.

Communications coordinator Charlene Boyce Young says Clean Nova Scotia’s home energy evaluators have been in the Yarmouth area recently delivering the REAP (Residential Energy Assistance Program)—retrofitting homes of those identified by Community Services as requiring it.

“It’s very exciting for us to be able to reach further into the province. And Yarmouth, with all those beautiful, big old wooden homes, is ripe for some retrofits, I’m sure,” she said.

The brewery company’s commitment is valued at $100,000 and supports efforts to help Nova Scotians cut home energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

“At the Oland Brewery, sustainability is part of our everyday business,” said Jean Lépine, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Quebec/Atlantic.

“In fact, last year the Oland Brewery cut fuel consumption by nearly 10 per cent, saving enough energy to heat over 100 Nova Scotia homes for one year. We are very proud of our ongoing efforts, and this partnership is a way to encourage Alexander Keith’s fans to do what they can to make Nova Scotia an even greener place to live.”

Oland Brewery reuses or recycles 97 per cent of all materials used at the facility. In addition, it recycles 100 per cent of returned cans, and every returnable/refillable bottle is used an average of 17 times before being recycled. Last year alone, the Oland Brewery cut water consumption by 14 per cent and sent over 18,000 tonnes of spent grains and yeast to Nova Scotia farmers to use for feed.

Clean Nova Scotia is a non-profit environmental education organization that provides home energy evaluations to help homeowners identify ways to reduce and improve their home energy efficiency. Participants may then take advantage of government rebates and incentives to offset the costs of retrofitting.

Winners will be selected on May 15th.