The Stone Ridge, N.Y.-based company won the top prize in the commercial, residential, and snow/ice melting categories, with SolarLogic (Santa Fe, N.M.) claiming the other two first-place awards, in radiant innovation and radiant cooling. Additionally, Cardinal Heating and Cooling (Sun Prairie, Wis.) won second place in residential and snow/melting, while second place in commercial went to Vertex Mechanical Inc. (Stevens, Pa.).

In taking home first place in the commercial category, Advanced Radiant Design Inc. created a true “zen” system in the Won Buddhist Retreat Center in Claverack, N.Y. The company designed and installed a climate panel radiant system and incorporated ground source water-to-water geothermal heat pumps with a modulating-condensing boiler backup. The system also provides domestic hot water and cooling. The company’s residential project was completed on the Olive Bridge Project in Olive Bridge, N.Y. and the snow/ice melting entry was for the Sterling Forest Project in Sterling Forest, N.Y.

SolarLogic won both of its first-place awards for projects related to the Los Alamos County Administration building. The company used solar collectors for both heating and cooling, using a combined 26 solar collectors and four zones of radiant backed up by a condensing boiler. Originally operated by three different control manufacturers, SolarLogic updated the controls with its proprietary single web-based system handling all disciplines.

“Given the construction climate in America today, it was nice to see the excellent entries and quality of work being done by the women and men of the RPA,” said Michael Geagan, RPA director of technical services. “The RPA is proud to offer the world’s only radiant and green technologies competition, and we look forward to even greater participation next year.”

Publication date: 12/3/2012