A. O. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, announced it has acquired Applied Energy Recovery Systems Inc. (AERS), Norcross, GA, a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential heat pump water heaters.
  The AERS product line includes the E-Tech line of commercial and industrial water heaters, commercial outdoor and indoor pool heating systems, and residential water heating and swimming pool products.
  Ajita G. Rajendra, president of A. O. Smith Water Products Company, says the acquisition will help A.O. Smith provide energy-efficient water heating solutions and compete in the renewable energy market.  
  “We plan to leverage the technology, engineering expertise and know-how from AERS to expand our capabilities and product lines across the globe,” Rajendra says.
  Heat pump water heaters capture heat from the surrounding air (air-source) or from water sources (water-source) such as waste water generated by a building’s chiller or cooling system and use it to heat water for hot water uses.  The energy savings generated from the captured heat significantly exceeds the energy cost of running the heat pump, making this technology a highly efficient means for water heating with savings of up to 80%, according to A.O. Smith sources.   
  A. O. Smith Corporation reported 2008 sales of $2.3 billion.
  In other news, Frost & Sullivan has selected A. O. Smith Corporation as the recipient of the 2009 North American Water Heaters Product Innovation of the Year Award. This is the second time A. O. Smith has received the award in four years.
  The Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation of the Year is presented each year to the company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within its industry. A. O. Smith received the award for its new product developments, including the Cyclone® Xi and Vertex™ water heaters.

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