When it comes to sustainable development and environmentally friendly building practices, Minto Developments Inc. thinks green. This integrated development, construction and property management company and its affiliates has led the industry by example for more than 25 years with innovative initiatives that boost the environmental performance of its homes, condominiums and offices.

Taking a proactive approach to corporate responsibility, Minto's commitment to energy efficiency and green-building practices began in the 1970s — decades ahead of competing Canadian residential builders and developers — when the company created its Energy-Wise s tandard of new-home construction.

In 1992, Minto built the Innova House for Natural Resources Canada demonstrating the features and benefits of R-2000 homes. Today, the company offers ENERGY STAR-rated houses, which are certified by the EnerQuality Corp. for being 30 to 40 per cent more energy efficient than those built to Ontario Building Code requirements.

Taking the commitment to Canada 's environment to the next level, in 1999 the company created the Minto Energy Management division. This forward-thinking step established Minto as the only Canadian residential developer-builder with an entire department dedicated to ensuring its buildings reduce environmental impacts, achieve advanced standards of energy and water-use efficiency and provide healthier living environments for its customers.

Under the banner Thinking Green . . . Living Greener, ™ Minto launched an extensive retrofit program to improve on the energy efficiency standards already set by the company's portfolio of 10,000 residential rental suites. Among other measures, this $12-million program included converting to high-efficiency boilers and installing automated building systems to conserve energy. The retrofit program reduced annual water consumption across Minto's rental buildings more than 1,000,000 cubic metres, reduced energy use by 22 per cent and reduced greenhouse gas production in Canada by 20,000 tonnes — equivalent to the oxygen produced by 2,000,000 trees. These accomplishments earned Minto Canada 's 2005 Energy Efficiency Award from Natural Resources Canada.

In 2006, Radiance @ MintoGardens became the first multi-unit, highrise residential condominium to receive LEED-Canada™ certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), issued by the Canada Green Building Council.

Certified for achieving the advanced rating of LEED Silver, the 33-storey Radiance condominium is the most environmentally-friendly highrise condominium in Toronto . Radiance consumes one-third less energy annually than a similar-sized building, in turn saving residents approximately $200,000 a year on common-area energy costs. Water consumption in Radiance was 30 million litres less in the building's first year of operation than a similar-sized condominium, saving residents an additional $55,000 in water fees.

In addition to achieving LEED Silver, Radiance has been certified by the Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP), run by Natural Resources Canada, for being 33 per cent more energy efficient compared to the standards of the Model National Energy Code for Buildings.

With the environmental success of Radiance, Minto's goal is to build all the company's future condominium developments to the LEED™ standard of design and construction, including MintoMidtown, comprising 54- and 39-storey condominium towers now under construction in the Yonge and Eglinton area of Toronto .

To maintain its long-standing leadership position in energy efficiency and environmental performance, Minto has completed an extensive internal research and development initiative, rethinking how the company designs and constructs its buildings, their operating systems and components. This has resulted in such Minto innovations as:

• an improved building envelope preventing the loss of energy from the inside to the outside;
• individual metering of units for electricity and water consumption — combined with the innovation of an “all-off” switch — to encourage conservation by residents;
• installing motion-detecting light sensors in staircases and service areas so lights are turned on only when these areas are occupied;
• developing the MintoInspired HRV fan coil for heating and cooling individual suites, providing improved air quality inside suites and giving residents the means to control their in-suite energy consumption.

Delivering healthier living environments for the people who live and work in Minto's communities will continue to be a focus of the company, as it builds on its years of experience and moves into the future.

Started in 1955, Minto Developments Inc. is a fully-integrated real estate, development, construction and property management company with operations in Toronto , Ottawa and South Florida . Minto Developments has built more than 60,000 new homes and apartments, manages more than 20,000 rental residential suites in Ottawa and Toronto and owns a commercial portfolio of more than 2 million square feet of office, retail and industrial space. Minto also owns and operates Minto Suite Hotel in downtown Ottawa , a Four Diamond hotel rated by CAA/AAA that has earned the 4 Leaf Audubon Terrachoice rating for operational practices minimizing environmental impacts.

Minto - Environmental Awards

• Canadian Urban Institute, Award for City Livability, 2007
• FRPO Award for Environmental Excellence 2006
• Globe Awards, Award for Excellence in Urban Sustainability, Finalist, 2006.
• City of Toronto , Green Toronto Award of Excellence for Water Efficiency, 2006.
• Natural Resources Canada , Canada 's Energy Efficiency Awards, 2005.
• City of Toronto , Green Toronto Award of Excellence for Resource Conservation, 2005.
• Urban Development Institute, MintoYorkville, Environmental Building of the Year, 2004.
• Association of Energy Engineers, Corporate Energy Management Award, 2000.