Yesterday, the Toronto Construction Association handed Simoneau and Pulsar its innovation technology award for a mini-sized water heater powered by multiple microwave beams.

Pulsar introduced the Vulcanus MK4 water heater at the three-day Construct Canada show held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Pulsar is still waiting for technical approvals, but talks are close to signing a distributor and launching sales by early spring.

The target market are condos where space is at a premium and the home market. The heater, which is the size of a stereo speaker at 25 centimetres deep by either 53 cm high or 36 cm high, will take up far less room than a standard hot water tank.

"And it will deliver instant hot water on demand and save 30 per cent in energy costs," says Simoneau who worked with colleague Pascal Simon Houle for 18 months to develop the heater.

This means no more running out of hot water while you're in the shower with shampoo on your head and in your eyes.

One of the Pulsar models has two outlet sources, meaning extra scalding water demanded by a dishwasher can be produced at the same time as cooler water for the shower.

The units can be mounted on the wall or fit between building studs. "It will save valuable space, especially in urban condos," says Simoneau.

The water heater uses microwaves to instantly raise the water temperature from 1.5 to 60 C.

Powered by electricity, the Vulcanus will cost $800, making it comparable to buying a well-insulated 270-litre conventional hot water tank, says Jerry Climan, Pulsar's vice-president of market research.

"This is an energy saver in the long run," he says. "The Canadian Department of Defence has expressed interest in it for field hospitals and troop comfort, since it is compact and only requires a generator to operate."

Instead of heating and storing water in a tank, and paying to keep it hot, the Vulcanus will heat water instantly as it's needed. As cold water comes into the unit, it spirals through 4.5 metres of tubing while being bombarded by magnetrons that heat it to the temperature set by the homeowner.

It can produce from 18 litres per minute of hot water up to 40 litres if required, when the average household uses 16 litres per minute if everything is running -- dishwasher, sinks and the washing machine.

"The water is only heated when it's demanded," Climan says, adding that similar gas-powered units available in the United States can't handle Canada's colder groundwater temperatures.

The Vulcanus will certainly help families achieve the government's One Tonne Challenge (for each person to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one tonne per year) because it eliminates the need for gas or oil to heat the water.

Although Pulsar is a new company, Climan and his partners have many decades' worth of experience in the construction, service and technology.

SALES PROJECTIONS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS $238,050,000 US