A. O. Smith Earns EPA Award

A. O. Smith received a 2024 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Partner of the Year Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

This is the company’s sixth consecutive Partner of the Year Award, and its fourth time being selected as one of a few esteemed Sustained Excellence partners.

The Sustained Excellence honor distinguishes companies that have made a long-term commitment to energy management through their products or services.

The company says key factors for the award include:

• The launch of the Voltex 120V hybrid electric heat pump water heater. The Voltex on a shared 15A or 20A circuit is the first heat pump water heater available in the United States with no limitations on region or climate, A. O. Smith says. Four times more efficient than a standard tank water heater and three times more efficient than a standard gas condensing tankless unit, according to Department of Energy test procedures and conversion rates, the Voltex 120V HPWH is specifically designed as an emergency replacement for gas water heaters with no need for electric work.
• Proactively leading webinars and in-person training events, most notably in collaboration with Energy Star Manufacturer Action Council (ESMAC), to educate more than 1,000 contractors and wholesalers across the country on energy-efficient water heating technology.
• Educating nearly 500 contractors on heat pump technology through the introduction of new training content at  A. O. Smith University using a mix of in-person and online classes.
• A complete overhaul of  A. O. Smith’s website that now offers an immersive and user-friendly experience with a focus on meeting the diverse needs of today’s trade professionals and homeowners, including easy-access to the rebate finder and Energy Star products.
• A mix of additional awards that show the company’s commitment to providing customers with reliable, efficient hot water, while also generating awareness and education around high-efficient water heaters.
• A quarterly promotion for A. O. Smith’s wholesale partners and their customers that offered incentives for contractors who purchased select HPWHs.

The annual Energy Star program honors businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to energy efficiency and the transition to a clean energy economy. Award winners lead their industries in the production, sale and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services and strategies. According to Energy Star, these efforts saved more than 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity over the past 30 years.

For a complete list of 2024 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s award program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

Voltex 120V hybrid electric heat pump water heater