An air conditioning system using a fuel cell system can reduce energy consumption for air conditioning and can use the electricity produced by operating the fuel cells, where a fuel cell blower that is used to operate fuel cells is also used for air conditioning. The air conditioning system includes an air intake line connected between an interior and an exterior of a building; an air blower disposed in the air intake line to supply external air to the interior; a first intake shut-off valve for opening or closing the air intake line; a fuel cell system receiving air in the interior by operation of the fuel cell blower and producing electrical energy; and a controller controlling operation of the first intake shut-off valve to open the air intake line when the fuel cell system is operated.

A cooling system for a photovoltaic panel including micro flat heat pipes (HP) integrated with thermoelectric generators (TEG) and a cooled water reservoir for cooling the working fluid in heat pipes. The cooled water in the reservoir is pumped from the condensate pan of an air conditioner. Experimental results show that cooling system reduced the average temperature of the panel by as much as 19° C. or 25%. Further, the output power of the photovoltaic panel increased by 44% when the photovoltaic panel was used in a very hot climate (30-40° C.). An additional two watts of power was generated by the TEGs.

An energy conversion apparatus 1 comprises: a liquid tank 11 in which a liquid 10 is stored; a plurality of gas-receiving parts 12 that are provided in the vertical direction inside the liquid tank 11 and are free to rotate or move vertically; a nozzle 13 that, inside the liquid tank 11, ejects compressed gas from below the lowest positioned gas-receiving part 12; a gas cylinder 14 that stores compressed gas serving as a primary energy source and feeds the compressed gas to the nozzle 13; an output means 3 that outputs kinetic energy of rotation or vertical movement as secondary energy to the exterior of the liquid tank 11, the kinetic energy being generated in the gas-receiving parts 12 by a buoyant force that the gas-receiving parts 12 generate as a result of receiving the compressed gas ejected from the nozzle 13; and a recovery device 4 that returns the gas from the liquid tank 11 to the gas cylinder 14.

A heat transfer medium liquid circulation flow channel having a first heat exchange unit exchanging heat to a second heat exchange unit is provided, and a fixed amount of first heat transfer medium liquid circulates therein. A feed pipe couples heat source holding second heat transfer medium liquid having temperature difference from the first medium liquid to the heat transfer medium liquid circulation flow channel. The feed pipe is coupled to an inlet end side of the first heat exchange unit and a discharge pipe is coupled to an outlet end side thereof. A necessary amount of second medium liquid is supplied to the inlet end side via the feed pipe so that a detected temperature of the first medium liquid in the outlet end maintains required set temperature. The same amount of the first medium liquid as the supplied second medium liquid is discharged out of the discharge pipe.

A portable post office contained within an intermodal container is disclosed. Such a structure may include a rack movably secured to a track mounted in the ceiling of said container via a trolley. The rack may be configured to hold a plurality of post office boxes, each box having a lockable door facing the center aisle of the container, and an open end facing the rear of the rack. The rack may be positioned against an interior side wall of the container and secured in place via a locking mechanism to prevent access to the open ends of the post office boxes. An individual may release the locking mechanism and move the rack into the center aisle along the track to access the open ends of the post office boxes. The rack member may then be moved back along the track and re-secured against the side wall.

Disclosed is a building system for reducing energy consumption. The building system includes an exterior wall layer disposed on an exterior wall of building walls, a circulation pipe disposed inside the exterior wall layer and through which a heating medium for absorbing heat caused by solar radiant energy applied to the exterior wall layer flows, and a thermal energy storage connected to the circulation pipe and configured to store the heat transmitted by the heating medium.

A cooling system for a photovoltaic panel including micro flat heat pipes (HP) integrated with thermoelectric generators (TEG) and a cooled water reservoir for cooling the working fluid in heat pipes. The cooled water in the reservoir is pumped from the condensate pan of an air conditioner. Experimental results show that cooling system reduced the average temperature of the panel by as much as 19° C. or 25%. Further, the output power of the photovoltaic panel increased by 44% when the photovoltaic panel was used in a very hot climate (30-40° C.). An additional two watts of power was generated by the TEGs.

A cooling system for a photovoltaic panel including micro flat heat pipes (HP) integrated with thermoelectric generators (TEG) and a cooled water reservoir for cooling the working fluid in heat pipes. The cooled water in the reservoir is pumped from the condensate pan of an air conditioner. Experimental results show that cooling system reduced the average temperature of the panel by as much as 19° C. or 25%. Further, the output power of the photovoltaic panel increased by 44% when the photovoltaic panel was used in a very hot climate (30-40° C.). An additional two watts of power was generated by the TEGs.

A district energy distributing system is disclosed. The system comprises a geothermal heat source system comprising a geothermal heat source and a feed conduit for a flow of geothermally heated water from the geothermal heat source. The system further comprises a district feed conduit, a district return conduit and a plurality of local heating systems, each having an inlet connected to the district feed conduit and an outlet connected to the district return conduit, wherein each local heating system is configured to provide hot water and/or comfort heating to a building, A central heat exchanger is connected to the feed conduit of the geothermal heat source system such that an incoming flow of geothermally heated water is provided to the central heat exchanger.

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in which a primary water loop is used as a heat transfer reservoir for both heating and cooling. A plurality of micro chillers are provided, with each micro chiller being connected to the primary water loop. Each micro chiller includes its own heat engine. Each micro chiller includes one or more fan coil units that exchange heat between the micro chiller and the air in a building. In a first mode a micro chiller transfers heat from the air in the building to the water circulating within the primary water loop. In a second mode the micro chiller transfers heat from the water circulating in the primary water loop to the air in the building. A primary water loop regulation system is provided to control the temperature of the water circulating in the primary water loop.