The ASHRAE Technology Awards program is a prestigious international competition that recognizes individuals applying innovative design solutions to their projects. These awards evaluate and acknowledge occupant comfort, indoor air quality, and energy conservation achievements. To prove the effectiveness of the design solutions, projects must include one year of verifiable operating data. Awards can be submitted within specific building type categories, including Commercial Buildings, Institutional Buildings, Healthcare Facilities, Industrial Facilities or Processes, Public Assembly, and Residential. Each category has subsets for New, Existing, or Existing Commissioning projects.
As an industry leader in decarbonization, zero energy, and healthy buildings, CMTA is committed to improving the built environment by designing high-performance, sustainable projects. Over the past 20+ years, we have collected utility data on our projects to inform our design process, and we continually put this data to the test through our annual submissions for the ASHRAE Technology Awards. With an unmatched record, CMTA stands as the all-time leader in the ASHRAE Technology Awards—one of the highest achievements in our industry. For the 2025 awards, we submitted projects in various markets, including K-12, higher education, and community facilities. Each project has successfully progressed from the Chapter to the Regional Award level, with regional winners advancing to the prestigious Society level competition.
CMTA’s first-place Society Level Award winners included Cub Run Rec Center in Fairfax, Virginia, topping the Public Assembly – Existing Building category. As part of Phase 1 of Fairfax County Government’s ongoing performance contract with CMTA, this facility underwent significant energy upgrades, resulting in a 60% reduction in total energy use and approximately $316,000 in actual savings during its first year of operation.
Pepper Construction’s Headquarters in Lockland, Ohio, also achieved a first-place award, winning the Commercial – Existing Building category. This adaptive reuse project transformed the historic Stearns & Foster building, originally built in 1912, into a cutting-edge office space focused on energy efficiency and occupant health and wellness. Originally operating at 70 EUI, the renovation reduced the facility’s energy use to an impressive 29 EUI, achieving net-zero energy and net-carbon status.
CMTA earned two first-place awards in the Education category, highlighting our leadership in sustainability and innovation in both the K-12 and higher education markets. The Chapel Hill Head Start Center, located in Marion, Kentucky, received the New Building award for its efficient and sustainable design, operating at a remarkable 10.9 EUI—an 82% reduction compared to a baseline building. This achievement avoids approximately 153.2 metric tons of CO2e emissions annually. Simpson College, based in Indianola, Iowa, was honored with the EBCx award for its comprehensive energy savings performance contract with CMTA. This project included major upgrades across 10 campus buildings and LED lighting updates for 31 buildings, leading to an impressive $810,991 in actual annual utility savings and 24% reduction in EUI campus wide.
Perham High School also received an Honorable Mention in the Education – New category. Located in Perham, Minnesota, the district’s existing 100-year-old facility was in dire need of system upgrades to address critical issues such as poor indoor air quality, inadequate natural light, and inefficient energy use. CMTA was brought in to design a new, fully electrified, geothermal facility, which lowered the school’s overall EUI from 85 to 39. Although the new facility is a third larger than the previous building, it operates using less than half the energy. Together, these projects exemplify CMTA’s ability to deliver impactful, energy-efficient solutions in education.
Team members from CMTA's 50 offices, along with employees from P2S and SC Engineers—our fellow Legence companies—had the privilege of attending this year’s ASHRAE Winter Conference. The four-day conference included opportunities to discuss the latest engineering trends and code updates, establish connections with vendors, and preview the latest technology. As we enter 2025, CMTA is excited to continue doing what we do best—designing energy-efficient, high-performance buildings that push the boundaries of sustainability and wellness.
First Place International Technology Awards:
- Cub Run RECenter - Performance Contract with Fairfax County, VA
- Pepper Construction HQ - Emersion Design
- Chapel Hill Head Start Center - RBS Design Group
- Simpson College - Performance Contract with the institution
Honorable Mention:
- Perham Dent High School - BHH Architects