In the 1970's energy became an issue and national tax credits were allowed for products that save energy. Solar heaters, wind turbines, and other such products became known to the US market. Later in the 1990's water became the major focus of our country. Low-flow toilets, shower-heads and fixture's became the thrust of the US Codes and Compliance's for the building industry. With the growth of our nation and the number of new homes that were being built since the 1950's, it became apparent that homes were being built with little concern for saving water or energy. Compliance's were necessary to create a more environmental friendly home.

What also became apparent was the fact that energy and water were extremely related. The California Energy Commission, The Environmental Protection Agencies and the US Department of Energy have determined that, in fact, a major relationship is involved. It is estimated that one gallon of water coming into the home to be used as hot water can represent as much as 30 percent of a Kilowatt/hour. As quoted in a report from the California Energy Commission recently "if only five gallons of water were to be saved each day in every home in California, it would save the state over one billion dollars, and nationally over 15 billion dollars."

Inspired to make a change, manufacturers set out to create products that would save both water and energy and be convenient to the consumer. The current products that saved water, like low-flow toilets and shower heads, were not well accepted to the consumer and even to date the appliance manufacturers are selling multi-headed shower heads and doing their best to introduce a higher flow to the consumers."

The concept of one of the early manufacturers was to address the needs of the consumer while implementing energy-saving elements, as well. The electronic demand pumping system works in existing homes on the demand of the user by activating buttons, (wired or wireless) motion sensors, voice- activation and flow switches. "On existing homes it is connected at or under the most distant fixture from the water heater". Once activated by the user using the existing hot and cold water lines, the system rapidly displaces ambient temperature water through the cold water line to the water heater. Once the hot water has reached the fixture, the sensor closes the valve and turns off the pump, not allowing hot water to enter the cold water line.

On new home construction (structured plumbing) the demand system is located at the water heater on a dedicated hot water return line.

When hot water is demanded by the user, the demand system cycles hot water rapidly and shuts down on a delta-T rise of temperature.

When the new demand system was introduced in 1990 for field-testing, over 1000 systems were sold in 28 US States. Each customer had an 800 phone number to call with comments. "We ultimately learned that 95 percent of everyone using the product loved the idea of how it worked," said the manufacturer. "However we had to make a lot of changes because it wasn't as effective as it should have been, but the complaints were about installation of the system, not the system itself."

In 2000 the US Department of Energy recognized the new system as truly an environmental product and in 2001 financed funding to have the new system tested. The tests were conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Palo Alto California. The tests conducted proved without a doubt that the new demand system, even on retrofit existing homes, could save up to 10,000 gallons of water per home each year and over 3000 Kilowatt/hours.

What more can the system do? It saves;

•WATER

* ENERGY

• REDUCES SEWAGE PROCESSING

• REDUCES AIR POLLUTION (creating better air quality)

And, it adds convenience to the user plus life to the hot water heater. An average home-owner can save over $300.00 dollars a year in water, energy and sewage costs. The cost of operation is less than one dollar a year. The AOl to the home-owner is less than two years.

With over 1.3 million homes being built each year and over 30 million homes that are already built where the hot water plumbing is not convenient to the user, we are wasting in excess of 10,000 gallons of water a year, 2000 KwH, plus the sewage and air pollution. The numbers add up in large quantities as pointed out in a current test being conducted by the Marriott Time Share Condo Group in Aruba. It is estimated that on 1000 condos or homes, saving only 15 gallons of water a day waiting for hot water can amount to the following:

• WATER - 5,475,000 gallons a year saved

•ENERGY - 1,207,517 Kilowatt-hours of electricity saved (electric water heaters)

• WASTE WATER TREATMENT - 11.810 KwH saved

• AIR POLLUTION -

        • 1,680,864 Pounds of Carbon Dioxide emissions avoided

        • 3,583 Pounds of Nitrogen Oxides avoided

        • 7,298 Pounds of Sulfur Dioxide avoided

ADVANCED CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES INC. DBA - ACT Metlund D'Mand Systems www gothotwater.com
HEADQUARTERS: Costa Mesa, California
PRODUCTS - Water/ Energy Conservation Products
FOCUS - Residential & Commercial (new or existing) Buildings

In Dec. of 2001 the US Department of Energy gave ACT Inc. Metlund Systems a CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION through the Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs for successful completion of a Company Business Plan under the Department's 2001 Commercialization Assistance Program.

Demand pumping systems receive EPA ENERGY STAR credits and are compatible with tankless or tank systems.