News Release: Free Heat Causes Housewarming (Feb. 24)

Ontario Energy Minister helps turn heat on in first home on STREAM™ energy system

Oshawa, February 24, 2004 - Ontario Energy Minister Donna Cansfield was among special guests in attendance at a "housewarming" party of sorts, held in the Oshawa community of Copperfield, when the heat was turned on in Ontario's first production home equipped with a solar-thermal-geoexchange clean energy system.

The STREAM™ system, unveiled by party hosts Marshall Homes, Clean Energy Developments and the Canadian Geoexchange Coalition (CGC), uses free, renewable heat energy from the sun and below ground to power a home's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, as well as meeting its domestic hot water (DHW) needs.   STREAM saves homeowners up to $2,500 a year on home energy bills, and reduces conventional energy consumption by 79% compared to traditional, natural gas furnaces and hot water heaters.

"A combination of comfort, cost savings and convenient financing options make clean energy systems one of the best ways to maximize the return on one of life's most important investments," said Craig Marshall, President of Marshall Homes, developers of the Copperfield community.   "I'm delighted to be celebrating today a vision over two years in the making, but there's no reason why clean energy systems shouldn't be an option for any new home built in Canada."

The STREAM system will be an upgrade option for all remaining un-sold homes in the Copperfield community, and an option for all homes in Marshall's upcoming Oshawa community, appropriately called Kingsfield Loop.  

Minister Cansfield, proposing one of several toasts at the housewarming party, congratulated Marshall Homes for its "ongoing commitment to sustainable community development, and for serving as an example for other homebuilders across the province.   Today's announcement is a clear demonstration of how Ontario's peak energy reduction and renewable energy objectives are being met by simple, practical and affordable solutions."

STREAM builds on Marshall's existing clean energy home features and options, which included the Solar+ hot water system, and the R-2000 and ENERGY STAR building upgrades, which combine added insulation with a high efficiency furnace to increase a home's energy efficiency by upwards of 40%.   In each case, Marshall Homes was among the first homebuilders to offer such options to homebuyers.

"Due credit is really owed to Craig Marshall for his vision of sustainable homebuilding, and his track record of raising the bar for Ontario home builders," said Michael Lewkowitz, CEO of Clean Energy Developments, the supplier of the STREAM system.   "Thanks to his investment in the STREAM system, all of Marshall's new customers can take advantage of the most efficient clean energy technology available."

Solar and geoexchange systems operate on much the same principle as a refrigerator, using a fluid-filled loop of pipes to exchange heat energy with its surroundings.   The systems gather heat using a loop extending through a central heat pump to solar panels on the home's roof (solar-thermal), and to a depth of 180 feet below ground level (geoexchange).   During the winter months, the system transfers heat from the sun and the ground into the home and, during the summer months, heat in the home is transferred to the ground. When the two components are combined, the result is an energy system about four times as efficient as a typical natural gas system.  

"Marshall Homes and Clean Energy Developments are leading a major home energy market change in Canada. Their innovative homes show that geoexchange systems are a viable option that can produce dramatic energy savings, while being reliable and affordable, and go a long way to help preserve the environment. We stand firmly behind such groundbreaking work," said Ted Kantrowitz, Director of Business Development, CGC. 

While it is the first production home system to integrate solar and geothermal technologies, STREAM is a patent-pending combination of proven, high quality components supplied by leaders in clean energy systems.   The geothermal heat pump was supplied by Vancouver-based Essential Innovations, and the solar-thermal system was provided by London, Ontario-based Enerworks.   Clean Energy Developments' in-house engineering and design team, among the most experienced in the country in clean energy, oversaw the system design, integration and deployment.

For additional background materials or print-ready photographs, please visit:

www.marshallhomes.ca/housewarming

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