Salt River Project (SRP) recently honored 12 businesses whose participation in SRP’s Business Solutions Program is driving sustainability across Arizona. From energy efficient building upgrades and demand response programs to equipment electrification and solar charging, the winners of the 11th annual Champions of Sustainability are raising the bar on environmental stewardship in the Valley.
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“SRP is proud to support these outstanding businesses as they lead the way in sustainability,” said Vanessa Kisicki, SRP Associate General Manager and Chief Customer Executive. “Through their innovation and commitment, this year’s Champions collectively reduced energy use, expanded EV infrastructure and advanced sustainable practices. Their efforts are also advancing SRP’s mission to build a sustainable Arizona.”
The energy savings earned through the Business Solutions Program support SRP’s 2035 Sustainability Goals related to energy efficiency, demand response, transportation electrification and customer technologies. All told, SRP’s commercial energy efficiency programs have saved customers more than 2.9 million megawatt hours of electricity—enough energy to power approximately 183,000 single-family homes for a year.
SRP’s 2024 Champions of Sustainability award recipients include:
American Leadership Academy: A public charter school system serving pre-K through grade 12, American Leadership Academy emphasizes academic excellence and character. This year, they advanced sustainability by installing advanced rooftop controls at their Gilbert campus, adding LED lighting at their new Applied Tech campus, and optimizing HVAC systems across three campuses, significantly reducing their energy footprint.
Aligned Data Centers: Aligned Data Centers offers innovative, sustainable and adaptive scale data centers and build-to-scale solutions for global hyperscale and enterprise customers. The company is expanding in the Phoenix market with multiple mega campuses featuring high-efficiency chillers, economizers and variable frequency drives to enhance AC efficiency.
Quality Custom Distribution: Serving iconic restaurant brands nationwide, Quality Custom Distribution has 25 facilities across the country, including one in the Valley. QCD leveraged SRP rebates to enhance their Phoenix facility with electric forklift chargers and 10 electric transport refrigeration units, underscoring their commitment to sustainability in logistics and energy efficiency.
K. Hovnanian Homes: A national homebuilder known for building communities of excellence, K. Hovnanian enrolled six communities and certified 184 energy-efficient homes in SRP’s ENERGY STAR® Homes program. The company is the first and only homebuilder in the program to offer Zero Energy Ready homes.
Birdsong Phoenix: A project by Vecino Group, a national company focused on sustainable housing development, Birdsong Phoenix is the first net-zero multi-family affordable housing project in Phoenix. With 13 buildings equipped with rooftop-mounted solar systems, each capable of generating 38,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, Birdsong advances sustainable, community-focused living.
Bristol Myers Squibb: A global biopharma company with a Phoenix-based manufacturing facility, Bristol Myers Squibb is devoted to developing innovative medicines for serious diseases. Recent renovations to their Phoenix plant incorporated energy-efficient, money saving upgrades like LED lighting, a chilled water-cooling system and mini-split heat pumps.
Banner Health: Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems in the U.S. To align with their mission to make health care easier so life can be better, they made lighting, HVAC, and chiller upgrades along with retro-commissioned HVAC optimization across multiple facilities, achieving substantial energy savings.
City of Mesa: As Arizona’s third-largest city, Mesa is taking a committed and proactive approach to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance residents’ quality of life. This year, Mesa became Arizona’s first municipality to commission and deploy an all-electric firetruck. In addition, the city installed a new DC fast-charging station for electric vehicles and is now planning to expand Red Mountain Park with energy-efficient upgrades, including LED lighting.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley: Dedicated to empowering young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible members of the community, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley installed a rooftop-mounted solar system that will generate an estimated 72,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. This effort reduces their carbon footprint and supports their mission to strengthen the community.
Arizona Humane Society: The Arizona Humane Society’s new Rob and Melani Walton Papago Park Campus provides comprehensive medical treatment and behavioral care for pets. The hospital and care facility reflects energy efficiency upgrades including rooftop solar panels, LED lighting and optimized HVAC systems, lowering energy use while providing a compassionate space for animal care.
Mountainside Fitness: As Arizona’s largest locally owned fitness chain, Mountainside Fitness operates 20 locations throughout the Valley. This year, they utilized SRP rebates to optimize HVAC systems at five of their fitness centers, enhancing energy efficiency while providing top-tier amenities to members.
Residences at 2211 Camelback: Located in the Biltmore District, the Residences at 2211 Camelback is a luxury condominium community supporting sustainable urban living. The 12-story condo community features amazing views of the city from one-, two- and three-bedroom single-level floor plans. It also includes 75 Level 2 EV charging ports to enable home charging for electric vehicles (EVs), supporting EV adoption and providing residents with convenient, eco-friendly amenities.
To learn more about SRP’s energy efficiency and sustainability programs for businesses of all sizes, visit savewithsrpbiz.com.
