A. O. Smith Honored with Two 2025 Chicago Athenaeum awards

A. O. Smith was recognized for design excellence by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies in the 2025 Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Awards for its Voltex MAX Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) and Emerge X Air Source Heat Pump Water Heater. The awards honor products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions for innovation and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace.

“The Voltex MAX and the Emerge X units are some of our most efficient units on the market for residential and commercial use. A. O. Smith’s number one commitment is to provide our customers with innovative and efficient technology. We are thrilled to have that commitment recognized through the selection of two of our products for the Good Design Awards,” said Betsy Curran, A. O. Smith director of marketing.

Providing around 40% higher First Hour Ratings than like-sized electric water heaters and heat pumps, the Voltex MAX hybrid electric HPWH offers peace of mind and flexibility. All Voltex MAX models are equipped with three levels of Hot Water + modes that each provide about 10-12% extra hot water — allowing homeowners to customize the unit’s performance to exactly the way they live and use hot water. The addition of the smart valve in the Voltex MAX unit delivers maximum hot water while the heat pump technology provides maximum savings at all times.