An energy bank is provided, comprising a heat exchanger within an enclosure, with an input-side circuit for connection to an energy source; an output-side circuit for connection to an energy sink; and a phase-change material for energy storage. The energy bank includes one or more sensors to measure energy stored as latent heat, an optical source to launch light into the phase change material, and an optical sensing arrangement to detect light launched from the source after passing through the phase change material. Also provided is an installation comprising an energy bank-coupled between a heat pumpand the hot water system, a processor configured to trigger the starting of the heat pump based on sensor data, and a method of controlling a heat pump in such an installation using sensor data.

An energy bank includes an enclosure, and within the enclosure: an input-side circuit for connection to an energy source; an output-side circuit for connection to an energy sink; and a phase-change material (PCM) for the storage of energy; wherein the PCM within the enclosure includes a plurality of resilient bodies that are configured to: reduce in volume in response to an increase in pressure caused by a phase change of the PCM; and expand again in response to a reduction in pressure caused by a reverse phase change of the PCM. The energy bank may have sensors to provide measurement data indicative of the amount of energy stored as latent heat in the PCM. An installation comprises an in-building hot water system including such an energy bank, the input-side circuit being coupled to a heat pump, and the output-side circuit being coupled to the in-building hot water system.

Subterranean thermal capacitance for an environmental-control apparatus mechanized via a solar thermal system. The method and apparatus use a solar collector and a plurality of heating-energy-storage cells that are each thermally insulated from one another, wherein heating energy-transfer fluid (HETF) coming from the solar collector is transferred to the energy-storage cell having the highest temperature that is greater than the temperature of the HETF, in order to segregate energy-storage cells to more efficiently store heating energy. Some embodiments further include an energy radiator that radiates thermal energy to an environment and thereby cools a cooling-energy-transfer fluid (CETF) and a plurality of cooling-energy-storage cells that are each thermally insulated from one another, wherein the CETF coming from the energy radiator is transferred to the cooling-energy-storage cell having the lowest temperature that is lower than the temperature of the ETF, in order to segregate cooling-energy-storage cells to more efficiently store cooling energy.

An apparatus for heating ambient air for an ASHP, the apparatus including a thermal battery and a sunlight-absorbent collector panel configured to be mounted on a building. The panel is exposed to ambient air and defines an air collection space between itself and the building when mounted on the building. The collector panel has a plurality of air inlet openings to allow the ambient air to flow into the air collection space. A panel outlet allows the collected air to flow from the air collection space to the thermal battery. The thermal battery includes battery airflow outlet in fluid communication with the ASHP and an external vent to the outside. One or more dampers control the airflow through the external vent and/or the battery airflow outlet. An air mover maintains a predefined airflow from the panel outlet to the battery airflow inlet. A controller controls the position of the one or more dampers.

A fluid-based system for use in heating and/or cooling. In particular, the system may have a fluid heating device, which may be a solar fluid heating device, configured to heat a fluid. Heat from the heated fluid may be transferred to one or more cooling subsystems or heating subsystems. A cooling subsystem may be an absorption cooling subsystem, for example, wherein heat may cause phase change of a refrigerant. A heating subsystem may include a storage tank through which heated fluid may be circulated to heat the storage tank. A system of the present disclosure may include multiple cooling and/or heating subsystems for cooling and or heating a variety of different environments, objects, or materials.