Fluent in Physics.
Native in Code.
I'm Michael Lippy — a software and mechanical engineer with 20+ years bridging HVAC&R, heat transfer, and modern full-stack development. I turn hard thermal problems into elegant, production-grade software.
20+ yrsengineering Virginia Tech
B.S. Mechanical
Mechanical Foundation. Digital Innovation.
Most developers understand algorithms. Most engineers understand heat transfer. I speak both languages fluently.
I'm a versatile engineer with a dual focus in software and mechanical systems, driven by solving complex challenges in the HVAC&R and heat transfer industries. I pair a foundational mechanical engineering background — a B.S. from Virginia Tech — with modern software to build more efficient, more innovative products.
- 20+ years of proven industry experience
- Full-stack two ways — software (UI → cloud) and engineering (code → mechanical)
- Primary focus: HVAC&R, heat transfer & the software that drives them
Full-Stack — in two dimensions
From a line of code to a heat exchanger.
Core Competencies
A unique blend of hard engineering and modern software craft.
Software Engineering
Engineering discipline applied to software — sound architecture and modern frameworks that produce robust, scalable, production-grade systems.
HVAC&R Systems
Expertise in HVAC&R System Design & Analysis, CPQ software, and delivering industry-grade engineering tools.
Thermodynamics
Deep foundational knowledge in Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics, and Fluid Dynamics applied to real-world problems.
Modeling & Simulation
Advanced System Modeling & Simulation to predict performance and drive innovation.
Tools I build with
Laboratory & Field R&D
Hands-on testing and product development across evaporative cooling towers, coils, heat exchangers, and fans — from the lab bench to the field site.
Lab & Field Testing
Instrumenting and testing real equipment to characterize and validate performance under true operating conditions.
Data & Sensitivity Analysis
Turning raw test data into insight — isolating the variables that actually drive performance.
Product Improvement
Closing the loop from results to design changes that measurably improve the product.
The Path So Far
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Now
Software Engineering Manager — OTS R&D
Leading custom engineering software, thermal modeling, and selection/pricing tools for new technology development.
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20+ Years
HVAC&R Engineering & Software
Two decades across system design, lab & field R&D, and full-stack development for the heat-transfer industry.
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Foundation
B.S. Mechanical Engineering — Virginia Tech
The thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics foundation everything else is built on.
Where I Work — OTS R&D
I serve as the Software Engineering Manager at OTS R&D, supporting new technology development customized to each project's needs.
AI-Accelerated Engineering
I treat modern AI as a force multiplier on two decades of mechanical and software expertise — amplifying what I bring to the team at OTS R&D so we ship production-grade engineering software faster, leaner, and with more polish. The judgment stays human; the leverage is what changes.
Faster Time-to-Value
Ideas become working software in days, not quarters — so results land while they still matter.
Capability, Multiplied
AI amplifies my reach — I take on more, explore more options, and deliver more for the team, with the same engineering judgment behind every decision.
Production-Grade, Always
Every line is reviewed, tested, and owned. Speed never comes at the expense of rigor.
Real engineering is rarely greenfield. It's a 15-year-old codebase running on technical debt, a third-party library whose only documentation is a 404, a product designed around rules of thumb whose original reasoning retired years ago, and an engineering dataset that flatly disagrees with itself. I won't pretend I love it — but it's a lot of the job, because that's just how the world works.
So I dig in anyway — and turn it into something better: recover the lost why, pressure-test the old rules of thumb against real physics, and rebuild it as a modern solution grounded in sound engineering and clear reasoning, not just "it worked last time." Persistence is just debugging that hasn't given up yet.
A Balanced Life
Outside the IDE and the lab, you'll find me with my family or chasing adrenaline in the mountains. I've skied all over the world — including the legendary Vallée Blanche glacier descent at Chamonix — and ridden sections of the Colorado Trail by mountain bike. Lately I've been grinding to get my golf game down to a single-digit handicap — the same stubborn streak that won't leave a hard problem alone.
But the best days are the shared ones: adventuring with my wife and daughter, hiking Jackson Hole with my dad, carving a run named Goat at Stowe alongside my grandfather, and the annual guys' ski trip I look forward to all year. The same curiosity that drives my engineering is what keeps me reaching for the next summit and the next ridgeline.
Let's Build Something
Whether it's a thermal challenge, an engineering tool, or just talking shop where physics meets code — I'd love to connect.