Dr. Mohamad Araji Wins 2023 ASHRAE Decarbonization Challenge Award

Associate Professor / Associate Director, Research / Director - AE Program, Dr. Mohamad Araji was announced as a recipient of the prestigious 2023 ASHRAE Decarbonization Challenge Award at a ceremony in Chicago.

Dr. Araji's project, a Multi-Plenum Fan Array Coupled with Double Skin Façades and Advanced Carbon Bio-fixation, one of 9 projects selected out of 43 submitted by 37 ASHRAE Chapters, was awarded the $10,000 maximum.

The ASHRAE Decarbonization Challenge Fund is a year-long competitive fund ($1,000 - $10,000) program to implement decarbonization projects within local chapters. This program is implemented through the YEA Committee with grassroots outreach through the YEA chairs/committees at each chapter.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability within the industry. Through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. ASHRAE was formed as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers by the merger in 1959 of American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE) founded in 1894 and The American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE) founded in 1904.

In 2012, as part of a rebranding, ASHRAE began doing business as “ASHRAE” vs. using its full legal name of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Use of ASHRAE reflects the Society’s worldwide membership and that services will continue evolving globally.

Dr. Araji's research and use of AI has been the focus of recent articles in Waterloo News, Waterloo Engineering and Engineered Systems.