A conditional climate control system is presented for maximizing the comfort level of the climate within a building while minimizing the usage of an on-demand energy source. An energy reserve created by an intermittent energy source or sources is monitored, and when it has surpassed a predetermined threshold level the climate conditions of a building are set to more desirable but energy intensive levels from energy-saving levels.

This invention materially enhances the quality of the environment and mankind by contributing to the restoration or maintenance of the basic life-sustaining natural elements, by reducing the amount of carbon monoxide introduced to the atmosphere from a combustion system, achieved by furnishing a system's approach to optimize the amount of oxygen to be chemically combined with fuel upon ignition of both allowing the correct amount of carbon to combine with the correct amount of oxygen thus fully release the thermal energy stored therein.

Apparatus for capturing heat from a stove to enable it to be transferred to a central heating system is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an air-water heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having an air side and a water side and being operative to transfer heat between air on the air side and water flowing in channels in the water side. The apparatus includes an air duct through which air heated by a stove can pass by convection to contact the air side of the heat exchanger and control means operable to control the amount of air flowing to the heat exchanger. The control means may include a fan that can be operated to direct the flow of air to the heat exchanger.

The invention relates to a sensible heat storage apparatus that comprises a core material that can be heated to a high temperature while it has been placed in a heat transfer fluid that absorbs essentially all the heat that is lost by any heat leakages from the core material. Accordingly, there is a very low, or almost absent overall heat loss, even though the sensible heat storage apparatus can store heat at a very high temperature. The gist of the invention is further that the high amount of heat can gradually be transferred to the HTF, which heat can in turn be put to use for domestic applications (e.g. domestic hot water and/or space heating) or for steam generation.