A solar photovoltaic (PV) water heating system includes a tank including at least a first heating unit having at least first and second heating elements, at least one of which is switchable; a PV solar collector; an inverter adapted to convert the output from the PV collector to an alternating power supply; a modulator to modulate the alternating power supply from the inverter; a controller adapted to control the modulator and the switching of the or each switchable heating element; wherein the controller is adapted to control the modulator and the switchable heating elements to maximize the energy drawn from the PV collector.

An air conditioning system includes a heat pump unit including a radiator usable with a refrigerant, a gas furnace unit including a heating section arranged to heat passing air, a blower arranged to generate an air flow that passes through the radiator and the heating section, a first temperature sensor provided in a room, and a controller configured to control each action of the heat pump unit, the gas furnace unit, and the blower. The temperature sensor detects an indoor temperature in the room. The controller causes the gas furnace unit to operate as a heat source unit when a difference value obtained by subtracting the indoor temperature from a set temperature is equal to or greater than a first threshold at startup, and causes the heat pump unit to operate as a heat source unit when the difference value is less than the first threshold at startup.

A combined heating system comprising a first heating subsystem including a first fluid conductor, a first heating unit adapted to heat a first fluid and output the first fluid at the outlet of the first fluid conductor, and a fluid mover adapted to move the first fluid through the first heating unit, a second heating subsystem including a second fluid conductor adapted to receive a second fluid, a third fluid conductor, a second heating unit adapted to heat the second fluid and output the heated second fluid in the third fluid conductor, a fluid mover adapted to move the second fluid from the outlet of the third fluid conductor to the inlet of the second fluid conductor, at least one heat exchanger operably connected to a downstream location of the first heating unit and a fourth fluid conductor connecting the second fluid conductor and the third fluid conductor.

A solar photovoltaic (PV) water heating system includes a tank (1.020) including at least a first heating unit (1.016) having at least first and second heating elements (1.016.1 . . . 1.016.x), at least one of which is switchable (1.014.1A . . . 1.014.1m); a PV solar collector (1.002); an inverter (1.004) adapted to convert the output from the PV collector to an alternating power supply; a modulator (1.060) to modulate the alternating power supply from the inverter; a controller (1.040) adapted to control the modulator and the switching of the or each switchable heating element; wherein the controller is adapted to control the modulator and the switchable heating elements to maximize the energy drawn from the PC collector.

A water heater can include a tank, an inlet line, and an outlet line, where the inlet line provides unheated water to the tank, and where the outlet line draws heated water from the tank for a hot water demand. The water heater can also include a heat pump disposed adjacent to a first portion of the tank, where the heat pump applies heat to transform the unheated water to heated water in the first portion of the tank. The water heater can further include a resistive heating element disposed within a second portion of the tank, where the resistive heating element further applies heat to transform the unheated water to heated water in the second portion of the tank.

A dual energy electric and gas water heater with an igniter shutoff circuit provides the user with a quick connect by which the electrical heating system may be selectively enabled or disabled. A transformer and relay limit the function of the gas igniter to only function when the electrical heating system is not energized, whether by manual disconnection or power loss.

The invention relates to a method of controlling an energy supply system comprising at least two energy generators each configured to provide at least one form of energy of heat and/or cold and/or electrical energy. The energy supply system further comprises one closed-loop controller per energy generator for controlling the energy generator and a control device coordinatedly controlling the closed-loop controllers. The control device detects an energy supply request for providing energy in the form of heat and/or cold and/or electrical energy and determines for each energy form which energy generators are required to meet the energy supply request. For each energy form, the control device generates switch-on requests for the energy generators required to meet the energy supply system and switch-off requests for the energy generators not required. For each energy generator, the control device determines if one, several or no switch-off request is present and if one, several or no switch-off request is present. For each energy generator for which there is at least one switch-on request present, a switch-on request is output to the corresponding closed-loop controller and, for each energy generator for which there is no switch-on request and at least one switch-off request present, a switch-off request is output to the corresponding closed-loop controller.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for configuring a multivalent energy supply system. The apparatus comprises a memory device in which a base configuration is stored. The base configuration includes a plurality of energy generators which use at least two different energy carriers to provide energy in the form of heat and/or cold and/or electrical energy, a flow through which a carrier medium flows which receives energy from the energy generators and transports it to a consumer circuit, and a return flow which receives the carrier medium coming from the consumer circuit. The base configuration further comprises a buffer storage which is arranged between the flow and the return flow. The energy generators within the base configuration may be arranged at positions in parallel to the buffer storage between the flow and the return flow and/or in series in the flow. The apparatus further comprises a detection device configured to detect, for each of the energy generators, a type from a predetermined set of energy generator types and a position of the energy generator within the base configuration stored in the memory device. The apparatus is configured to transmit the base configuration to a control device which controls the energy generators based on their detected type and position within the base configuration.

An apparatus and system for efficiently and safely transferring heat from a masonry heater to an external heating device using coil pipes and a liquid circulation pump. Circulation of a heat transfer liquid in the apparatus and system is controlled based on the measured temperature of the heat transfer liquid in the coil pipe on a return side of the masonry heater. Two additional sensors near the external heating device are used to control the flow rate of the circulation of the heat transfer liquid in the apparatus and system, thereby controlling the amount of heat actually transferred to the external heating device.

An apparatus and system for efficiently and safely transferring heat from a masonry heater to an external heating device using coil pipes and a liquid circulation pump. Circulation of a heat transfer liquid in the apparatus and system is controlled based on the measured temperature of the heat transfer liquid in the coil pipe on a return side of the masonry heater. Two additional sensors near the external heating device are used to control the flow rate of the circulation of the heat transfer liquid in the apparatus and system, thereby controlling the amount of heat actually transferred to the external heating device.