A system including a photovoltaic panel having a first heat exchanger for absorbing heat from the panel and/or from the environment by a heat exchanging fluid, connected to a heat pump. A second heat exchanger is provided for absorbing heat by the heat exchanging fluid and a control means for controlling a flow of the heat exchanging fluid through the first heat exchanger and/or the second heat exchanger. The heat pump is arranged to cool the heat exchanging fluid. The system has the following operating modes: a first mode in which cooled heat exchanging fluid is fed to the first heat exchanger; and a second mode in which cooled heat exchanging fluid is fed to the second heat exchanger and then fed to the first heat exchanger.

A solar water pasteurizer has a water jug removably disposed in a solar box with insulation and a solar window. The water jug has a lid to close an aperture in the solar box and a handle thermally isolated from the water jug to facilitate handling of the water jug with heated water. Multiple water jugs can be swapped in and out of the solar box. The solar box also has a thermal mass to preserve some heat in the solar box.

A solar water pasteurizer has a water jug removably disposed in a solar box with insulation and a solar window. The water jug has a lid to close an aperture in the solar box and a handle thermally isolated from the water jug to facilitate handling of the water jug with heated water. Multiple water jugs can be swapped in and out of the solar box. The solar box also has a thermal mass to preserve some heat in the solar box.

A thermal energy storage (TES) for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants consists of a two-tank molten salt storage. There is a provided need for a thermal energy receiving and storage system for CSP plants. To demonstrate how thermocline TES can be used in the CSPonD concept, a water tank is used for receiving a heat transfer fluid, which includes an absorbing mesh that is mountable within the tank for establishing and maintaining natural stratification resulting in a thermocline zone within the tank, and additionally comprises a plug flow injection system for establishing plug flow within the tank. A method of establishing and maintaining natural stratification, involves pumping cold heat transfer fluid, injecting the cold heat transfer fluid, and controlling the pumping and the injecting, all within the tank.

A thermal energy storage (TES) for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants consists of a two-tank molten salt storage. There is a provided need for a thermal energy receiving and storage system for CSP plants. To demonstrate how thermocline TES can be used in the CSPonD concept, a water tank is used for receiving a heat transfer fluid, which includes an absorbing mesh that is mountable within the tank for establishing and maintaining natural stratification resulting in a thermocline zone within the tank, and additionally comprises a plug flow injection system for establishing plug flow within the tank. A method of establishing and maintaining natural stratification, involves pumping cold heat transfer fluid, injecting the cold heat transfer fluid, and controlling the pumping and the injecting, all within the tank.

The present invention relates to a solar water heater (SWH) for producing hot water for domestic use, said SWH is inspired from the thermosiphon SWH to manufacture an SWH more efficient in winter and in summer. It is made up of two hot water storage tanks (17) (22) mounted in series in order to have an operating temperature as stable as possible, equipped with a guidance system for heating incoming cold water by passing through the collectors before entering the hot water storage tank (25-a) (25-b), a solar collector receiving solar radiation through its twin transparent faces (35) (36), stainless steel sheet mirrors that reflect the solar radiation applied to the collector through its rear transparent face (36) and a low energy consumption integrated circulator for gaining heat by cancelling out load losses that characterize the resistances to the passage of water in the SWH circuit (29).

The present invention relates to a solar water heater (SWH) for producing hot water for domestic use, said SWH is inspired from the thermosiphon SWH to manufacture an SWH more efficient in winter and in summer. It is made up of two hot water storage tanks (17) (22) mounted in series in order to have an operating temperature as stable as possible, equipped with a guidance system for heating incoming cold water by passing through the collectors before entering the hot water storage tank (25-a) (25-b), a solar collector receiving solar radiation through its twin transparent faces (35) (36), stainless steel sheet mirrors that reflect the solar radiation applied to the collector through its rear transparent face (36) and a low energy consumption integrated circulator for gaining heat by cancelling out load losses that characterize the resistances to the passage of water in the SWH circuit (29).

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.

In some instances the obtained sensor data may be used to detect the occurrence or imminently predicted occurrence of a catastrophic event, including but not limited to fire or flooding, internal or external to the predominantly enclosed space.

In some embodiments this information may support any single or any combination of locally or remotely alerting humans, alerting rescue units, activating countermeasures, uploading at least partially said sensor data to off-site computers, determining the cause(s) of said catastrophic event, determining liability, determining insure payments, determining insurance premiums.

The present disclosure describes a hybrid photovoltaic (PV) panel that includes: a first photovoltaic (PV) layer comprising photovoltaic cells capable of converting energy from incident solar power into electricity; a second transparent layer arranged underneath the first PV layer such that a portion of the incident solar power passes through; and a third thermal collection layer arranged underneath the second transparent layer and comprising absorbing material capable of absorbing energy from the portion of the incident solar power that has passed through the second transparent layer, wherein the second transparent layer includes a thermally insulating material to provide a thermal barrier between the first PV layer and the third thermal collection layer such that when the PV panel is operated, the first PV layer operates at a temperature lower than a temperature of the thermal collection layer.

A system for energy storage and electricity generation is described. The system includes an energy storage system providing compressed air and an electricity generation system. The electricity generation system includes an airlift pumping system pneumatically coupled to the energy storage system. The airlift pumping system includes a water collecting tank containing collecting water and a riser tube having a base immersed in the collecting water and configured for injection of the compressed air into the riser tube through the air pipeline to provide air bubbles within the riser tube that produce an upward flow of the collecting water together with the air bubbles. The electricity generation system also includes a hydro-electric power system driven by upward flow of the collecting water together with the air bubbles to produce electricity, and a water heating system for heating the collecting water in the water collecting tank.