Episode 1
We recently headed down to Manhattan for The Clean Fight, which hosted the prestigious Empire Technology Prize. It was an incredible event celebrating the finalists pushing the boundaries of clean energy innovation. For us at Miller Proctor Nicholas (MPN), standing there as a finalist represented the culmination of over a year of intense scouting, strategic partnering, and gritty, hands-on engineering.
Here is the story of how we are bridging the gap between New York’s traditional building infrastructure and a zero-emissions future.
A little over a year ago, as New York City began getting incredibly serious about building decarbonization laws, we went on a mission to find technologies that could actually deliver at scale. One solution quickly stood out from the crowd: water-source heat pumps.
Our search led us across the Atlantic to Finland, where we discovered a world-class manufacturer named Oilon and their revolutionary ChillHeat technology. By November 2022, MPN officially signed up as the very first North American distributor for Oilon ChillHeat.
The concept is a textbook win-win:
When presented with the Clean Fight challenge, we didn’t want to design something that looked great on paper but failed in the real world. We had to ask ourselves: What actually works with New York’s existing infrastructure?
As NYC’s go-to boiler specialists, we know the city’s basements inside and out. In many cases, trying to rip out 100% of a building’s boilers is a logistical and financial nightmare. The real magic happens when you leave the existing systems in place and incorporate new technology right on top of them.
“We understand steam, we understand hydronics, and we understand New York City.”
With a dedicated network of over 25 service technicians and crew members constantly on the ground in NYC every single day, nobody is better positioned to deploy and maintain this hybrid technology than a team that already keeps the city running.
Hearing “Miller Proctor Nicholas” announced as a finalist for the Empire Technology Prize was an unforgettable moment. Sitting in the audience alongside representatives from Finland—who shared immense pride in seeing Oilon’s technology leveraged on such a massive stage—validated everything we’ve been working toward.
But making it to the finals is just the beginning. A trophy doesn’t install itself. It takes a mix of intense excitement and, honestly, a little bit of anxiety to bring a new technology to life.
We recently received our Oilon P30 chill heat pump prototype. Our next step? We are mounting this prototype inside a mobile demonstration unit so we can take it directly to our partners across the city, proving its cost-effectiveness, scalability, and reliability in real-time.
Anyone can read a glossy product brochure, but things change the moment you turn a unit on in the field.
Starting up the P30 in the US has been a masterclass in trial and error. Because this technology is so new to the domestic market, our team is essentially writing the playbook as we go. During our initial test runs, finding the unit’s “sweet spot” required constant adjustments:
Every day is a critical learning experience, but that’s exactly what makes the process so rewarding.
After plenty of tinkering, troubleshooting, and fine-tuning, we are thrilled to say the machine is officially humming. We are climbing closer to our goals every day, proving that the future of clean energy isn’t just about inventing something entirely new—it’s about having the grit, expertise, and boots-on-the-ground capability to make it work in the real world.
Stay tuned as we take our mobile demonstration unit on the road and bring the next generation of heating to New York City!
Whether you require a comprehensive Building Decarbonization Strategy, Technical Emissions Modeling, or expert guidance on NYC Local Law 97 Carbon Compliance, our team is ready to assist.
Reach out to Hudson Clean Heat Representative Today!
info@mpnboilers.com
(914) 203-1907