TITUSVILLE, Fla. (Sept. 2, 2003) – The nation’s leading manufacturer of electronic tankless water heaters will unveil in September a superior new tankless water heater created with help from the NASA-funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP).

     SATOP provides free engineering assistance to small businesses with technical challenges through the donations of time and expertise from 40 Space Alliance Partners.

     Miami-based SETS (Space, Energy, Time, Savings) Systems manufactures and distributes tankless water heaters that can replace hot water tanks. Computer chip technology controls the heating of the water through heating elements, providing hot water on demand instead of storing it in a traditional tank. The tankless unit, about the size of a phonebook, saves space, furnishes unlimited hot water, and substantially decreases water-heating costs.

     Because SATOP previously helped SETS Systems with the adaptation of a NASA designed flow switch, company officials knew where to turn when they wanted to upgrade the water heater’s electronic circuitry using the latest integrated chip technology and improve the unit’s overall performance.

     “We checked different microprocessors and consulted with several firms, but because of our prior experience with SATOP and the successful results, we decided to approach them and take advantage of this excellent government program,” said Carlos Cabrera, SETS Systems vice president and founder.

     SATOP assigned the challenge to Allen Saad, a principal electrical design engineer with The Boeing Company at Kennedy Space Center. Using an existing SETS unit, Saad performed several tests, made recommendations regarding the best microprocessor to use and suggested additional design changes that would improve performance, yet cost no more than the original unit.

     With Saad’s recommendations implemented, the new and improved SETS Systems unit outperforms all other tankless water heaters on the market. To accommodate the roll out of the new unit, the company is moving to a new, 10,000-square-foot operations and showroom facility in Dania, Fla. and will hire additional staff from the local labor pool.

    Cabrera urges other small businesses to utilize SATOP for assistance with technical challenges. “We are true believers in and preachers of the benefits SATOP offers to American companies. It is an excellent program and the staff involved at all levels is highly knowledgeable in their field, as well as extremely helpful and professional.” Cabrera said. “For small businesses that don’t know about SATOP, it is truly an undiscovered treasure.”