BRE Honoured as Developer of the Year

PARIS - Brant Renewable Energy's being named Developer of the Year by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association is a testament to the young corporation's ability to build partnerships in the community and grow the ethic of green power, says the management.

BRE, a division of Brant Municipal Enterprises, was given the honour at the association's fifth annual Powering Prosperity Awards. The company fit the eight categories that span community, aboriginal, public and private sector sustainable energy solutions.

BRE was founded to educate, advocate, facilitate and provide turn-key renewable energy solutions for the municipalities, businesses and residents alike.

The association cited BRE's ability since it got off the ground a little more than a year ago, to secure 1.3 megawwats of feed-in-tariff rooftop solar contracts. It also "helped many residents install solar, partnered with Six Nations, the Sustainability Brant Community Energy Co-operative and various other businesses on several groundbreaking projects.

BRE has also installed electric charging stations, and is now investing in communications infrastructure and a potential hydro site.

"BRE's various initiatives are providing good green jobs and locals contractors, reducing the county's energy emissions, empowering local residents, strengthening ties with county neighbours and generating significant non-tax based revenue," the citation says.

Michael Bradley, general manager of corporate services and CEO of BME, says it's remarkable that BRE has been recognized so early in its existence.

"It's a credit to the work that the county has done on a community level," Bradley said in an interview Wednesday.

"It was pleasant to receive the award."

He said the new division of BME has forged good partnerships with SBC Energy Co-op on major rooftop projects on the Brant Sports Complex on the outskirts of Paris and the South Dumfries Community Centre in St. George; and with Six Nations in the Brant 403 Business Park.

"It's not just building solar panels. We've done a lot to bridge green energy projects with community groups," he said.

"We're out there breaking new ground."

Bradley said BME's board of directors is projecting to make a small profit from its first year of operations in 2014 and a much larger one this year. Much of the proceeds are expected be reinvested in BRE.