Columbia Association received a 2023 Better Project Award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative for converting to advanced heat pump HVAC systems at its largest facility, Supreme Sports Club. CA has installed five dual fuel heat pump (DFHP) package units at the 100,000-square foot building over the past year. (TBM / Jason Whong)

Columbia Association has received national recognition with a 2023 Better Project Award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative.

The award recognizes CA and its sustainability team for converting to advanced heat pump heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at its largest facility, the Supreme Sports Club. CA has installed five dual-fuel heat pump package units at the 100,000-square-foot building during the past year; compared to more conventional HVAC units, the heat pump operation of the new equipment is estimated to reduce natural gas consumption by approximately 70 percent.
The organization plans to install another five DFHP units in three other CA facilities during the next couple of years.

CA made it a priority to transition from the old systems to the more energy efficient heat pump technology while managing implementation costs, meeting space conditioning requirements and maximizing decarbonization benefits. Existing electrical power supply and natural gas lines were reused without any special configuration, which streamlined the installation process.

“This is just one way CA is demonstrating a commitment to finding new, innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint each and every day,” said CA Director of Sustainability Jeremy Scharfenberg. “After seeing the success of these units, they have become the new standard specification for the rest of CA’s building portfolio.”

Columbia Association has installed a solar photovoltaic system on the roof of Supreme Sports Club.. (TBM / Jason Whong)

CA is also an inaugural partner in the Better Climate Challenge, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% within 10 years. During the course of this fiscal year, the organization has added two fully electric vehicles to its commercial fleet and installed a solar photovoltaic system on the roof of Supreme Sports Club.