Green Tech: Michael Daly of ECM Technologies On How Their Technology Will Make An Important Positive Impact On The Environment

Evaluate impact and iterate: Continuously assess the impact of your technology once it is deployed. We have conducted countless case studies over the years and continue to ensure that the equipment we have treated at each location continues to meet our rigorous standards.

In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Daly, P.E., Chief Technology Officer at ECM Technologies

Michael Daly, P.E., Chief Technology Officer at ECM Technologies, is a seasoned professional with 30-plus years of engineering and business management experience. He has made a career of developing, manufacturing and selling lifesaving and life-changing technologies focused on energy conservation measures. Currently, he is bringing HVAC innovation to the market with ThermaClear, ECM Technologies’ proprietary nano-fluid formulated to optimize refrigerant performance and help building owners improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of their real estate footprint.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?

I grew up in New York and New Jersey, having always shown an affinity for understanding how things work. I often helped my DIY-father fix things around the house but eventually took it a step further. I would tear apart various objects, get an understanding of how they worked, and then reassembled them, ultimately teaching myself how to improve upon an existing design.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Early in my career, I worked for Breed Technologies, developing airbags for cars. In this position, I had the privilege of observing the mindset of a relentlessly positive individual.

In my first meeting with Ford Motor Company, Allen Breed, Breed Technology’s founder, tossed a quarter onto the table, proclaiming it to be the size of our next-generation gas generator — merely 4 inches in diameter.

During a break, as Allen stepped outside, the Ford personnel began laughing, questioning why Allen made outlandish claims. It was at that moment that I shared with them, “That’s precisely why he hired me.”

What I inevitably learned from Allen was that dreaming big and reaching for the stars can lead to massive success for a business, even if they don’t hit every target. Working with a visionary, or as some would say, a dreamer, forced me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to achieve more than I otherwise would have. We may never have succeeded in making a gas generator the size of a quarter, but we captured a huge international market with products that exceeded clients’ expectations.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Early in my career as a functional manager within the automotive airbag industry, I thought my engineering expertise was so superior that my eight direct-report engineers should do things exactly the way I would. However, a bold, competent engineer named Ann approached me one day, closed the door, and provided me with a much-needed reality check. She educated me about the capabilities of the staff, emphasizing that they were more than capable of performing their engineering tasks, albeit with their own unique approaches. She also‌ emphasized the importance of empowering employees for increased productivity and overall satisfaction.

I am immensely grateful to Ann for confronting me, challenging my mindset and outlining the steps necessary for a successful department. Being a fast learner, I immediately applied her advice, which quickly returned phenomenal results. Since then, I have taken Ann’s advice with me to every job, practicing listening first and granting individuals ample space to contribute their creative ideas. I strongly believe in the importance of granting everyone the freedom to make mistakes and experience failure, as long as we extract valuable lessons from those experiences, leading to even greater levels of innovation.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I’ve had a number of Life Lesson Quotes that have meant so much to me at various times, but right now my favorite is: “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt.

I’m a firm believer in positive imaging, without which success is harder to come by. From time to time, we all suffer doubts, failures and setbacks, yet how we process those experiences decides what tomorrow will hold. My education and work experience have me looking for problems, a view that can be seen as negative. I’ve learned that I need to recharge by surrounding myself with people that don’t see problems, rather they see opportunities.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Perseverance: Involves maintaining a positive mindset, learning from failures and persisting towards your goals.While working on developing next-generation military body armor, my team had to come up with lighter, more resilient body armor that would save lives from a potential new threat. The government’s specification imposed such a difficult weight challenge that surpassed current material science and processing techniques that we had to discharge past knowledge and open our minds to new unconventional approaches. In the end, after many failures and millions of dollars spent, we were one of only two businesses in the United States that could successfully meet the specification.
2. Adaptability: Involves being open-minded, flexible and resourceful. When developing new technologies, I’ve had the most success by using what’s currently available but implemented in a way that was never previously considered. I’ve incorporated an aluminum pudding cup with a beer/soda can-style crimped top to hermetically store pyrotechnics used in gas generation for airbags in automobiles. Who would have thought?!
3. Resilience: Involves cultivating inner strength, coping mechanisms and maintaining perspective. Manufacturing can be daunting, especially when a problem arises that causes deliveries to stop and your client (the automotive industry) imposes a million-dollar-a-day penalty! The team working hand-in-hand with the client works 14-hour days, 7-days per week for weeks to resolve the problem. It is only possible to see this issue through by having strong coping skills, deep inner strength and maintaining a larger picture perspective that enables success and of course, a team that works well together with the utmost respect for each other.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the tech tools that you are helping to create that can make a positive impact on the planet and the environment. To begin, which particular problems are you aiming to solve?

The foundation of what ECM technologies is today started years ago with a troubling discovery in the HVAC sector: namely, that HVAC systems become less efficient over time — often in just a year or two. Why? Because small amounts of the oil used to lubricate the compressor slowly migrate into the system’s heat exchanger coils. This oil coats the coil walls, impeding heat transfer, reducing both heating and cooling effectiveness and forcing the compressor to work harder, using more energy.

The issue, known as oil fouling, causes HVAC units to operate at 70% or less of their original capacity, significantly hindering system performance. The presence of oil fouling also places an excessive workload on compressors. This increased strain leads to substantial energy loss and subsequently inflated electricity bills for building owners. Even more than that, the system components suffer premature wear and tear due to compromised efficiency, resulting in a shortened lifespan for the HVAC system.

How do you think your technology can address this?

ThermaClear™ is a proprietary formulation that restores HVAC equipment to optimal performance and aids in extending its useful life. ThermaClear™ clears away oil fouling and creates a barrier to future buildup. After years of research and development, a breakthrough was achieved in 2018 with the advent of ThermaClear™. Now, the most glaring HVAC inefficiency can be eliminated with one simple treatment.

Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?

My passion for this cause stems from my extensive experience in developing products that solve challenging problems and doing so in an economical way. Too often, products or services solve a singular problem without consideration for the holistic impact on the client, building and environment. When truly listening to clients’ concerns, it’s rewarding to identify a solution that not only is simple to implement but improves our environment and pays for itself in less time than most other energy conservation measures.

Listening to clients’ thoughts on the negative impact of declining HVAC efficiency and its subsequent environmental and financial consequences motivated me to tackle this challenge head-on. By introducing ThermaClear™ and promoting energy-efficient solutions, we aim to make a tangible difference in restoring HVAC performance efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

In contrast to other modern technologies like AI and self-driving cars, which can sometimes lead to overreliance and skill degradation, ThermaClear™ offers a distinctive and efficient solution without any adverse effects on HVAC equipment or job displacement. This innovative technology addresses the problem of oil fouling in HVAC systems by providing a one-time solution that effectively removes the coating and establishes a protective barrier to prevent future buildup. With ThermaClear™, building owners can enhance HVAC efficiency without the need for untimely equipment replacement or any negative impact on employment opportunities.

The implementation of ThermaClear™ has shown remarkable long-term savings, with every treated location achieving 100% savings. Additionally, the typical payback period for project costs ranges from 12-to-36-months, making it a financially viable investment.

ThermaClear™ stands as a testament to the tangible benefits of innovative solutions in the HVAC sector, contributing to improved energy efficiency and long-term cost savings. A perceived potential drawback may be that older HVAC equipment is staying in service longer, delaying the replacement with less harmful refrigerant types. Yet, the benefits seem to outweigh this potential risk by decreasing the amount of equipment going to landfills and decreasing the amount of energy going into the production of new equipment. In addition, saving clients’ money enables investment into other important social benefits.

Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five things you need to know to successfully create technology that can make a positive social impact”?

1. Identify a meaningful problem: Start by identifying a real problem or challenge faced by society. Our team identified that HVAC systems become less efficient over time due to oil fouling.
2. Collaborate with diverse stakeholders: Involve a diverse range of stakeholders throughout the process, including community members, experts, organizations and potential users. Our team consists of scientists, engineers, innovators and management executives, each with multi-decades of expertise in their respective fields.
3. Human-centric design: Put people at the center of your design process. We wanted to create a product that was easy to implement, didn’t need constant upkeep and made HVAC systems work more efficiently for longer.
4. Consider ethical implications: Technology should always be developed with ethics in mind. Our goal was to create something that would improve a facility’s HVAC system without displacing an entire profession.
5. Evaluate impact and iterate: Continuously assess the impact of your technology once it is deployed. We have conducted countless case studies over the years and continue to ensure that the equipment we have treated at each location continues to meet our rigorous standards.

If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

The world we inhabit is not only our present but also our future. Each one of us has the power to shape that future through our actions and choices. Making a positive impact on our environment and society is not just a responsibility; it is an opportunity to create a better world for ourselves and the generations to come.

By actively engaging in initiatives that promote sustainability, conservation and social progress, we can contribute to the preservation of our planet and the well-being of its inhabitants. Whether it’s through reducing our carbon footprint, volunteering for local community projects, advocating for change or spreading awareness, every effort counts.

Remember, making a positive impact is not limited to grand gestures or drastic measures. Even the smallest actions can make a difference. Just like ThermaClear™ provides a one-time solution to enhance HVAC efficiency, your individual actions, when combined with others, can create a ripple effect of positive change.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Elon Musk. I have the utmost respect for such a creative individual and visionary about technology that I would relish a discussion about challenges and solutions to future technologies.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

I’m not the most active online, but you can follow our work at:

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/thermaclear
• https://www.facebook.com/ThermaClear
• https://www.instagram.com/thermaclear
• https://twitter.com/ThermaClear
• https://ecm-technologies.net

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.