Heat Pump Innovation Wins Third Place in Pitch Competition

A UMD Center for Environmental Energy Engineering team earned third place in the Vicinity Energy–MEIA Ideation Program for its innovative solution to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Led by mechanical engineering Research Professor Yunho Hwang, the team proposed an energy-efficient industrial-scale heat pump.

The pitch competition, hosted by Vicinity Energy and the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator (MEIA), invited innovators to propose solutions to enhance Vicinity Energy’s infrastructure at its Baltimore facilities. As the nation’s largest district energy provider, Vicinity Energy offers centralized production of steam and chilled water for heating and cooling, with distribution through underground pipes in Baltimore and 11 other cities across the United States. MEIA, a project of the Maryland Clean Energy Center, advances climate-friendly technologies through programs that support inventors and bring their innovations to market quicker.

In its pitch, CEEE proposed for high-capacity, heavy-duty heating and cooling systems, such as district heating infrastructure. “Our solution offers multi-stage compression, which reduces compressor workload substantially compared with single-stage systems. Ultimately, this means significant energy savings,” Hwang says.

Throughout Fall 2025, the competing teams collaborated with Vicinity Energy to better understand the company's needs and to develop proposals to address them. Finalists presented their solutions this month to Vicinity Energy executives, who awarded the CEEE team third place. In addition to Hwang, the CEEE team includes Senior Faculty Specialist Jan Muehlbauer, postdoctoral researcher Arunjoy Baruah and graduate research assistant Md Mehrab Hossen Siam.

Published February 13, 2026