A system for supplying hot water to a floor of a building having a plurality of floors is disclosed. The system includes a hot water vessel operable to supply hot water for use in the floor of the building, the hot water vessel having an inlet for receiving cold water and a heating coil for transferring heat to water within the hot water vessel. The system also includes a heat exchanger having an outlet in liquid communication with the inlet of the hot water vessel, the heat exchanger being operable to collect stagnant heat within the floor and to preheat cold water flowing through the heat exchanger for delivery to the inlet of the hot water vessel. A hot water supply system for a plurality of apartments in a multi-story building having at least one exterior solar-facing wall exposed to solar radiation and a fire sprinkler supply system for a building are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for a thermosyphonic water heating system for a storage tank. A DC heat pump receives power from a DC power source and heats water via a heat exchanger using a thermosyphonic piping system. A passive back-flushing having a cold water inlet pipe connected to the hot water return pipe draws cold water into the storage tank through the heat exchanger. A vertical array of temperature sensors distributed throughout the storage tank monitor temperature of stored water at multiple heights and a communication unit communicates monitored data to an external control device.

Methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces to enable the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems. The methods may be in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal). In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all. In some instances the invention reduces the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

In a joint water boiler-air/air heat pump air conditioning system coupled to a photovoltaic system and intended to air condition a closed environment formed by one or more rooms and comprising an electrical system to which electrical appliances are connected, an electronic control system is programmed to compute electrical power production of the photovoltaic system and electrical power consumption of the electrical appliances in the closed environment, and, based thereon, a surplus electrical power production of the photovoltaic system with respect to the electrical power consumption of the electrical appliances in the closed environment. If a surplus of electrical power production of the photovoltaic system is determined to exist with respect to the electrical power consumption of the electrical appliances in the closed environment, it may be determined how many indoor units of the hot/cold air/air heat pump system can be electrically supplied simultaneously with the electrical power surplus.

A pump (2) system includes a pump, a sensor (22; 28) arranged in or at a flow path (14), and a concentration measurement device measuring a concentration in liquid inside the flow path (14). The concentration measurement device includes the sensor (22; 28), as a concentration sensor, connected to an evaluation device (26) for evaluating readings of the sensor (22; 28). The evaluation device (26) is connected to a further signal source (20; 24), providing at least one further parameter, and is configured to carry out an evaluation of the reading of the sensor (22; 28), taking into account the further parameter provided by the further signal source (20, 24) to output the concentration in the liquid. A solar heating system includes the pump system.

In a joint water boiler-air/air heat pump air conditioning system coupled to a photovoltaic system and intended to air condition a closed environment formed by one or more rooms and comprising an electrical system to which electrical appliances are connected, an electronic control system is programmed to compute electrical power production of the photovoltaic system and electrical power consumption of the electrical appliances in the closed environment, and, based thereon, a surplus electrical power production of the photovoltaic system with respect to the electrical power consumption of the electrical appliances in the closed environment. If a surplus of electrical power production of the photovoltaic system is determined to exist with respect to the electrical power consumption of the electrical appliances in the closed environment, it may be determined how many indoor units of the hot/cold air/air heat pump system can be electrically supplied simultaneously with the electrical power surplus.

Disclosed are methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces. In particular, the invention enables the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems since under certain conditions less energy for heating or cooling is required to maintain, within certain boundaries, desirable temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other enclosed spaces.

In some instances the invention is in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods and algorithms to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal).

In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all, whereas in other instances the expenditure of external energy for conventional heating or cooling is reduced. In some instances the invention enables the reduction of the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

Pyramidal housing autonomous and suitable for different environmental conditions. Its pyramidal structure (1) is made up of metal profiles (10) that include corner pillars (10a), side pillars (10b), beams or cross structures of mezzanine (17)(19) and rafters that form the openings (4), being the pillars anchored to the foundation beam (13); over this structure, the outer covers (15) that form the pyramidal walls (15a) are mounted; in the blind sections of the outer cover (15) of the upper floor there are mounting supports (32) for arrangements of solar panels (30), while at the apex (12) there is a wind energy generator; other blind sectors allow the mounting of a solar heater (50).

A system for heating a work fluid and for air circulation comprises a plurality of collectors fitted top-to-top in one or more columns, such that air ducts of the modules constitute a single duct along a column, wherein the solar collector comprises: one solar radiation planar absorber with one anterior face exposed to solar radiation and another posterior face affixed to the work fluid piping; one duct for exchanging heat with the planar absorber via the air duct which has its air inlet and outlet on opposite tops of the solar collector. The system can additionally comprise a descendent air duct to collect air from the upper part of the building and to supply air to the lower side of one or more columns of the facade.

A temperature controlled structure assembly comprises an array of structural panels each including at least one channel formed therein. At least one channel of each of the structural panels is aligned with at least one of the channels of an adjacent one of the structural panels to form a continuous channel extending through the array of the structural panels. At least one functional panel overlays the array of structural panels and is exposed for contact with a user. At least one heat exchanging element is disposed within the continuous channel and configured to exchange heat with the at least one functional panel in order to heat or cool the at least one functional panel.