OTTAWA — The Government of Canada has awarded ten Canadian organizations with the 2009 ENERGY STAR® Market Transformation Awards, recognizing their outstanding efforts promoting energy-efficient products. These awards are part of additional ecoENERGY Efficiency awards recognizing best practices and innovation in energy efficiency across Canada.

“I congratulate this year’s winners for their creativity, innovation and leadership in helping to strengthen and expand the ENERGY STAR program in Canada,” said Mark Warawa, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment, on behalf of the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources. “These companies are advancing our economy by promoting and developing new energy-efficient technologies, which will improve Canada now and in the future.”

To qualify for ENERGY STAR designation, products must meet stringent specifications for energy efficiency and, depending on the product, be 10-to-50 percent more efficient than conventional products. The ENERGY STAR symbol can be found on most major electrical household appliances; consumer electronics; office equipment; heating, cooling and ventilation equipment; lighting products, compact fluorescent lights and fixtures; windows and skylights; and doors.

The ENERGY STAR program builds on the Government of Canada's plan to fight climate change, which sets a course to achieve an absolute reduction of 20 percent in Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

This Government is committed to helping Canadians reduce energy costs and become more energy-efficient. As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government has invested an additional $300 million in the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes grant to help as many as 200,000 more homeowners receive grants for performing energy-saving retrofits on their home.

For more information on ENERGY STAR and products that qualify, visit www.energystar.nrcan.gc.ca.

• ENERGY STAR® 2009 Market Transformation Award Winners - Backgrounder