Winner Selected for Low Carbon Heating Solutions

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the selection of a winner of the Empire Technology Prize competition to advance building  technologies for low carbon heating system retrofits and save energy and costs in tall commercial and multifamily buildings in New York State. Miller Proctor Nickolas, Inc. was selected to receive a $1 million grand prize for demonstrating significant progress in the development and utilization of steam and high temperature hot water heat pumps as a solution that is energy efficient and can be implemented to save consumers energy as part of New York State’s energy transition.

“New York State is investing in modern, energy efficient solutions to help manage energy costs and reduce demand on the electric grid while putting New Yorkers’ health front and center,” Governor Hochul said. “Participants in this competition have the vision and dedication to advance new and innovative technologies that will help provide modern amenities in our aging building stock and improve the quality of life for residents across the state.”

The Empire Technology Prize competition is supported by the Innovation and Research program at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and administered by The Clean Fight. The grand prize winner was named at a ceremony in New York City along with the team of Ambient Enterprises, Flow Environmental Systems, and Gil-Bar Industries announced as the $100,000 second-place prize winner. Additionally, Johnson Controls received an honorable mention and all finalists presented solutions to advance technologies in buildings that are representative of the billions of square feet of existing commercial and multifamily buildings throughout New York State.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Congratulations to Miller Proctor Nickolas and the team of Ambient Enterprises, Flow Environmental Systems, and Gil-Bar Industries for their work to make retrofitting a wide range of tall buildings in New York State easier and more efficient. Once brought to scale in the market, these technologies will provide energy savings to New Yorkers through more affordable heating and cooling solutions.”

Miller Proctor Nickolas, Inc. (MPN) was selected as the grand prize winner for implementing Oilon’s ChillHeat Technology, a solution that generates both high temperature hot water and steam for use in tall buildings. Their solution will be installed at three locations in Manhattan including an Upper East Side residential building on Fifth Avenue, an Upper West Side mixed-use building with condominiums, and a Midtown health and fitness club on Park Avenue.

The team of Ambient Enterprises, Flow Environmental Systems and Gil-Bar Industries was selected for the second-place prize for commercializing a high temperature hot water heat pump using air or water source heat and the natural refrigerant of carbon dioxide. This technology will be installed in Manhattan on the Upper West Side, at the Union Theological Seminary, a key historic building, enabling the first carbon dioxide high temperature hot water heat pump deployment in New York.

Throughout the competition, over $8 million has been awarded to support product development and demonstration projects in a variety of building types in New York State. Over $4.1 million was directed toward seven demonstration projects, with 35 percent going to two projects located in disadvantaged communities, as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group. 

The demonstration projects include:

• AtmosZero – $500,000 for a steam heat pump using water or air source heat with a large hotel in midtown Manhattan.
• Clean Heat Technologies – over $400,000 for a steam heat pump using water source heat in an affordable housing building in Harlem.
• Hydronic Shell – over $1 million for a distribution solution in an affordable housing authority building in Syracuse.
• MPN – over $965,000 for steam and high temperature hot water heat pumps using water source heat at three buildings in Manhattan.
• The team of Ambient Enterprises, Flow Environmental Systems, and Gil-Bar Industries – $1.2 million for a high temperature hot water heat pump using air or water source heat at a building in Manhattan.

New York State Department of Public Service CEO Rory M. Christian said, “Congratulations to the award winners that are making a phenomenal effort to retrofit buildings to make them more energy efficient. Technology of this type will play an important role to make heating and cooling more affordable.”

The Clean Fight Managing Director Kate Frucher said, “We are thrilled by the phenomenal progress the finalists have made. These solutions did not exist in the market a year ago, and not only has great technological progress been made, but seven active demonstration projects are underway across New York State. The finalists have surpassed our expectations and their progress demonstrates their deep commitment to developing these critical innovations. It is also testament to the market demand for easier-to-implement solutions that can modernize how we heat New York’s tall buildings and realize a more sustainable and resilient future for all.”

Wells Fargo Head of Sustainability Jeff Schub said, “Wells Fargo’s sponsorship of the Empire Technology Prize aligns with our ongoing efforts to support our clients, customers and communities as they work towards their own sustainability and resiliency goals. We congratulate the awardees announced today and celebrate the power of innovation and collaboration in making buildings and our communities better places to live and work.”

Rocky Mountain Institute Managing Director Sukanya Chandrasekar Paciorek said, “The Empire Technology Prize has sparked real solutions that give owners practical ways to cut carbon while keeping buildings running smoothly. Finalists are now piloting new approaches like heating systems that electrify without major construction, and retrofit wall panels that can be added with little disruption for tenants. Their progress shows the strong demand and growing momentum for cleaner, more resilient buildings.”

State Senator Kevin Parker said, “The $1 million award raised through the Empire Technology Prize represents more than just a prize, it’s an investment in our clean energy future. With these resources, innovators can advance low-carbon heating systems that cut emissions, drive down energy costs for families, and create sustainable solutions for our tallest commercial and multifamily buildings. As Chair of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, I have worked to ensure these funds are directed to the innovators and projects that can deliver the greatest impact for New Yorkers helping us build a more affordable, resilient, and climate-friendly state.”

In July 2024, Governor Hochul announced finalists for the Empire Technology Prize, which each received an initial $250,000 award with the potential for up to an additional $750,000 as they achieved milestones in progressing their solutions. Up to $2 million was made available to help finalists offset the costs of installing solutions such as pilot programs or demonstration projects in eligible tall buildings in the New York market. The Clean Fight, a not-for-profit focused on accelerating the adoption of solutions for the energy transition in New York State, was selected as the program administrator in September 2022 and launched the program in 2023.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), an independent nonprofit dedicated to transforming global energy systems through market-driven solutions, provides technical support for the competition.

Wells Fargo is an additional sponsor of the Empire Technology Prize, as this competition aligns with the company’s ongoing work in advancing innovative technologies that can help drive economic growth, sustainable homeownership and neighborhood stability in communities.

The Empire Technology Prize competition continues NYSERDA’s leadership in advancing carbon-neutrality in existing buildings and draws on lessons learned from projects supported through the State’s $50 million Empire Building Challenge, a partnership between NYSERDA and leading commercial real estate owners to elevate new design approaches for low-carbon retrofits in New York’s high-rise buildings.

For more than fifty years, NYSERDA has been a trusted and objective resource for New Yorkers, taking on the critical role of energy planning and policy analysis, along with making investments that drive New York toward a more sustainable future. NYSERDA’s Innovation and Research program is deploying approximately $1.2 billion over 15 years as direct research investments and commercialization support. To date, more than $800 million in investments have supported more than 700 companies and made nearly 300 products commercially available to individuals, businesses and utilities. Through NYSERDA and utility programs, more than $5.6 billion has been invested to decarbonize buildings and support high-efficiency all-electric heating and cooling technologies. Today’s announcement advances Governor Hochul’s commitment to decarbonize buildings, which are one of the most significant sources of carbon emissions in New York State.

Funding for this initiative is through the Clean Energy Fund (CEF) and Wells Fargo as a program co-sponsor with implementation support from The Clean Fight and technical support from RMI.

New York State's Climate Agenda
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation and waste sectors.