Mojave's Rachel Ellman Named to 2024 ACHR NEWS 40 Under 40 List

Ellman's Engineering Excellence Recognized as Key to Achieving Groundbreaking HVAC Efficiency Results

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mojave Energy Systems, founded to change the nature of air conditioning, today announced that Vice President of Engineering, Rachel Ellman, PhD, has been recognized as one of the HVAC industry's top young talents of 2024 by The Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration NEWS magazine (ACHR NEWS). 

Ellman has been named to the leading trade publication's annual 40 Under 40 list that highlights young HVAC professionals making a difference in the industry. As the leader of Mojave's engineering department, she has been pivotal in the design, engineering, and launch of the company's innovative HVAC unit which enables energy efficiency and decarbonization optimization beyond what was previously possible. As a member of the Mojave executive team, she has been critical to launching and growing the business.

Ellman developed her passion for cleantech earlier in her career while working for SpaceX on the development of the manned spacecraft Crew Dragon. The experience she gained designing environmental control and life support systems and serving as spacecraft operator for the first successful flight translated to her engineering achievements at Mojave in the HVAC world. 

"I'm honored to be recognized by ACHR News and am proud of the great work that the Mojave team is doing. Our successful launch of such an important product is a tribute to our focus on blending new technology with strong engineering fundamentals," said Ellman. "HVAC accounts for 10% of global electricity use and Mojave has figured out how to pave the way for a more sustainable and comfortable future."

Mojave's dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), ArctiDry, is a patented, easy-to-install, liquid desiccant HVAC system that reduces energy draw by 40 to 60 percent compared to similar legacy products.

In developing ArctiDry, Ellman led the Mojave engineering team to achieve multiple breakthroughs that paved the way for dramatically lowering HVAC electricity consumption. An inventor of several Mojave patents, Ellman's leadership had influenced every aspect of ArctiDry's design, including refrigeration, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, instrumentation and controls. Her integrative approach has resulted in ArctiDry being the ideal fit for a wide variety of HVAC applications, including healthcare, education, grocery, clean manufacturing, and others that have high outdoor air and/or low humidity requirements.   

"Rachel's achievements are outstanding, and we are so proud to have her on the Mojave team," said Phil Farese, CEO of Mojave Energy Systems. "She is an exceptional engineer that has made groundbreaking contributions that are advancing the entire HVAC industry and making an important difference for our customers and the planet."

Mojave's ArctiDry stands out for its exceptional environmental improvements. In addition to reducing negative environmental impacts by using significantly less electricity, it also uses the low GWP refrigerant R-454b to lower greenhouse gas emissions. With an ISMRE of 9.8 lbs/kWh, it's 2.5x as efficient as conventional DOAS, and more than double the Department of Energy (DOE) standard that went into effect May 1, 2024. 

The 2024 40 under 40 list was featured in the August 26, 2024, issue of The ACHR NEWS. To view the list online, visit the ACHR website.  

About Mojave Energy Systems
Mojave produces novel liquid desiccant systems designed to change the nature of air conditioning by dramatically increasing energy efficiency and reducing the climate impact of AC. Mojave's patented technology cools and dehumidifies the air, enabling the independent control of dew point and dry bulb. By focusing on dehumidification, lowering energy consumption, reducing refrigerant use, and improving indoor air quality for commercial buildings, Mojave's ArctiDry product is an ideal solution for applications that rely on Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS). When compared to other alternatives on the market, ArctiDry offers a highly reliable, lowest-cost-of-ownership product that reduces energy use by 40 to 60 percent. Mojave, founded in 2022 to commercialize a decade-long, Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) R&D project, has received seed funding from At One Ventures, Fifth Wall, Xerox Ventures, and others.

Mojave Media Contact:
Christy Kemp
[email protected]

SOURCE Mojave Energy Systems, Inc.