In 2005 Sunil Sinha, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of AirGenerate™, was asked by a friend to provide a water heating solution that would lower costs of heating water for his commercial Laundromat. Sunil originally recommended utilizing a solar water heating system, but soon found the initial cost was extremely high, with a long monthly cost thereafter. Besides, the solar panels were too large to fit onto the roof of the building.

Sunil continued his search for a solution, until he came upon the concept of heat pumps: how they are able to cool homes to a desired temperature, no matter how hot it was outside. Why couldn’t this technology be reversed to heat water in a cylinder tank? He knew this technology existed, but found that many of the current heat pump water heaters had drawbacks. High upfront costs, complicated installation, and frequent maintenance ruined this otherwise efficient source of heat. By designing a small heat pump that can easily attach to all types of existing water heaters, Sunil knew he had an idea on his hands: after doing the numbers, he found that homeowners and businesses can save more than 50% in energy costs, all while tapping into a clean source of energy. He had found a solution with the same environmental benefits as a solar water heater, but without the excessive operating costs.