This is part of a year-long ‘Love for Local’ series calledNB365: portraits of New Brunswick entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations. Huddle is a media partner with Love for Local. Today, we hear from EnerGreen Builders in Sackville.

ENERGREEN IS A FIVE-MEMBER BUILDERS CO-OPERATIVE. WE BUILD PASSIVE SOLAR HOMES AND DO ENERGY-EFFICIENT RETROFITS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

There is a growing need for energy-efficient housing as a response to climate change. Our business is there to meet that need. Our system is quite simple, it doesn’t have to be complex to achieve the desired outcomes.

The successful formula for us has been a home with a combination of appropriate orientation to the sun, high levels of insulation and good windows. That’s it! The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Our homes have been observed by outside agencies like Efficiency NB, and they perform very effectively.

Older Houses can play an important role in reducing climate change as well. When homeowners choose to retrofit an older home they are utilizing the embodied energy of the existing structure and improving it. There are financial incentives through NB power for these kinds of improvements.

Energreen is a worker’s co-operative. The structure of the business is unique in that all members are equal partners. This particular attribute has made our business robust, and we tend to have more overall stability in an unpredictable marketplace. This has certainly been tested during this past year.

We’ve received a lot of support from the community during this time. For many New Brunswickers, travel is off the table and people are shuffling priorities. We see many people using resources that would have gone towards a trip to improve their homes. This can be anything from a complete renovation to a new deck.

We’ve seen a strong response from New Brunswickers supporting local businesses during this challenging time.

Another way that our business makes a difference in the community is that we work closely with a number of not-for-profit organizations. These have been anything from large-scale projects to weekend work parties. Our donation is time and labour, to help offset the cost and support these important community organizations. Local businesses make a difference because together we are stronger!

Banner photo: Front: Deanna Leaman, Shamus Griffin, John Kilpatrick Back: Jesse Griffith, Terry Piercey.