2014 40 Under 40: Umit Sirt, PE, CEM, 39

Senior Energy Engineer, Principal, Taitem Engineering pc, Ithaca, N.Y.

By Silvia Chavez and Amara Rozgus May 19, 2014

Umit Sirt, PE, CEM, 39
Senior Energy Engineer, Principal, Taitem Engineering pc, Ithaca, N.Y.
Middle East Technical University, BS Mechanical Engineering; Stevens Institute of Technology, ME Mechanical Engineering

From his humble beginnings in the mountainous village of Turkey’s Black Sea region, Umit Sirt now works as a senior energy engineer in his adopted hometown of Ithaca, N.Y. Sirt has more than 15 years of experience in the thermo-fluid field with a specialty in energy and HVAC/R. His commitment to sustainable buildings can be traced back to his longtime love for the natural world and his desire for preserving the environment. Since joining Taitem Engineering in 2010, Sirt has been designing high-performance buildings and generating energy models for buildings of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority New Construction Program. Sirt’s expertise in energy modeling is demonstrated by a breadth of high-profile projects such as the Varyap Meridian in Istanbul, Turkey, a 4.2-million-sq-ft complex that is the first LEED registered project in that country. His work with the Varyap Meridian won him the Sustainable Tompkins Sign of Sustainability award and several international architecture awards. Sirt’s environmental efforts follow him well outside of work as he enjoys participating in the New York City “million trees NYC” project, which helps young people plant trees and create safe green recreational spaces. Sirt credits his mountainous upbringing in a village 8,500 ft above sea level for his current love of mountain hiking. He has covered a wide range of topography, from Turkey to Hawaii to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Sirt and his significant other, Courtney, live together in upstate New York with their son and are currently expecting a baby girl.