Smart Energy Decisions announces winners of the 2025 Innovation Awards. These awards recognize exemplary use and implementation of innovative technologies and progressive practices among energy buyers that reflect new approaches to energy procurement and management.
The awards will be presented at SED Forum Fall on September 17 at the Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona.
“After a five-year hiatus, we’re thrilled to bring back the Innovation Awards program,” said Lisa Carroll, SED’s Director of Community Development. “This year’s winning projects showcase real-world solutions that are already driving results in energy procurement and sustainability. The landscape is shifting again, and energy and sustainability customers attending SED Forum Fall will gain fresh insights, make valuable connections, and leave inspired to implement innovations that can transform their own strategies.”
Here are the 2025 SED Innovation Award winners:
Circularity
- U-Haul International, Inc., “Circularity of U-Haul Adaptive Reuse Products and Services”
- Arrow Electronics Inc., “Ocotillo TX Repowered Wind Project
Community Impact
- Adtran, Strategic Energy Management (SEM) Initiative
- UPS, Power for Purpose: Leveraging UPS’s Clean Energy Transactions for Home Repairs and Energy Efficiency Upgrades to Increase Resiliency in Central South Carolina
Energy Efficiency Technology
- Dollar Tree, EMS AI Optimization
- Munson Healthcare, How Cogeneration Reduced a Hospital’s Electricity Usage by 50%
Offsite Renewable Energy
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Consortium for Climate Solutions: Collaborating to Accelerate Large-Scale Renewable Energy Development. A collaboration led by Harvard University, Mass General Brigham, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and PowerOptions
Onsite Renewable Energy
- Ozark School District, Ozark Schools Lead the Way in Sustainability Through Solar Innovation
Ones to Watch
- Arrow Electronics Inc., Community Action Portfolio
- Iron Mountain Data Center, Enabling Data Centers to Become Flexible Grid Resources
The 2025 Innovation Award winners were selected by an independent panel of industry experts and practitioners, including Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Co-Founder, NorthBridge Energy Partners LLC; Steve Kiesner, Sr. Director, National Customer Markets, Edison Electric Institute (EEI); Thomas Lanzilotta, Campus Sustainability and Energy Manager, Stony Brook University; Fred Mazurski, Principal, FM Consulting Inc.; Melissa Pierce, PM Program Manager, Planning & Scheduling, University of Maryland; and Rowena Striff, Energy Manager, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
“We congratulate our winners and look forward to celebrating their success at SED Forum Fall,” said Carroll. “We encourage others to step out of their comfort zones and join us for a chance to hear what’s working and where things are headed from people who are actually doing the work.”
Smart Energy Decisions’ Innovation Awards will be presented at SED Forum Fall, set for September 15-17 at the Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona. Click here for more information.
Smart Energy Decisions Forums center around dedicated, pre-scheduled 1-to-1 meetings between qualified energy buyers and energy solution providers. Unlike conferences, SED Forums combine organized business meetings with peer learning and informative presentations, enabling attendees to make meaningful progress toward their energy and sustainability goals.