A system for providing air conditioning to a living space and heating potable water. The system comprising a heat pump circuit comprising a compressor for circulating a refrigerant around the heat pump circuit, a first condenser, a second condenser and an evaporator. The evaporator being adapted to receive a first flow of air from an air inlet to transfer heat from the first flow of air to the refrigerant. The first condenser being adapted to receive a flow of water to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the water. The second condenser being adapted to receive a second flow of air to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the second flow of air. The first flow being provided from the evaporator to a living space by an air outlet.

A solar thermal assisted water heating system includes a thermal collector comprising a plurality of fluid channels configured to collect heat from a surface of a photovoltaic module, a drain-back tank coupled to the thermal collector, a first pump coupled to the drain-back tank and configured to pump fluid from the drain-back tank to the thermal collector, a first heat exchanger configured to receive fluid from the thermal collector, a heat pump coupled to the first heat exchanger and configured to remove heat from the fluid and heat water with the removed heat, and a controller configured to control the first pump and heat pump. The system may include a photovoltaic module and a hot water tank. These systems improve the efficiency of water heating, and the drain-back tank may serve as a thermal battery that stores heat and provides the stored heat when environmental temperatures decrease.

Embodiments in the current disclosure relate to improving the efficiencies of geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar based energy production and other green-energy generators by linking them together for increasing the usable energy which is extractable from each generator and/or energy storage reservoir. In some embodiments, increased efficiencies of both geothermal solutions and systems exploiting solar energy or other energy generators are achieved by linking them together. Preferably but not necessarily the linking includes smart-contacts which automatically enhance the links according to temporal measurable values characterizing the connectable modules and devices. A geothermal reservoir may include an inlet with a large surface area between a shell of the reservoir and the ground.

Provided is a method of signalling a command to a water heating appliance remote from a controllable water outlet fed from the appliance via a water supply installation, the method comprising: monitoring the water supply that feeds the controllable water outlet; detecting a sequence of changes in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet; correlating the sequence of changes with a stored pattern; detecting a match above a stored threshold; interpreting the match as a command. It is thus possible to manipulate a tap, or other controllable water outlet, to signal to a processor so that the temperature or flow rate of water supplied by the outlet can be increased. Thus a water supply system may have default flow and temperature levels designed for economy and low water usage, but a user can on demand override one or both of these limitations without the necessity of needing to go to the appliance to reset it. The water heating appliance is preferably an instantaneous water heating appliance. Also provided is a water supply installation including a water heating appliance, a controllable water outlet remote from the appliance, a water supply line arranged to feed the controllable water outlet with heated water from the appliance, and at least one sensor to sense a property or state of the water supply line, and a processor coupled to the at least one sensor; the processor being configured to detect a sequence of changes in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet; correlate the sequence of changes with a stored pattern; detect a match above a stored threshold; interpret the match as a command; and take an action in accordance with the command.

Provided is a method of signalling energy usage to a user of a hot water outlet of a hot water supply system, the hot water supply system including: a thermal energy store that is supplied with energy from a source of renewable energy; a renewable energy source; an auxiliary water heater coupled to a networked energy supply; a flow transducer operable, when a water flow passes through the hot water outlet, to provide flow rate data for the water flow; and a processor coupled to the flow transducer; the hot water supply system being operable, under the control of the processor, to heat water that is to be supplied to the hot water outlet to a target system supply temperature using a selection of one or more of the auxiliary water heater, the renewable energy source, and energy from the thermal energy store.

A digital fluid heating system may include a solar collection system configured for focusing sunlight on a focal axis, an elongated flow element arranged and configured for transporting fluid along the solar collection system at the focal axis, and a flow-control assembly comprising a digitally controlled valve configured to control the flow of the fluid in the elongated flow element such that pathogens present in the fluid are substantially inactivated before the fluid exits the fluid heating system and at a maximized flow rate under the given energy providing conditions. The system may also include one or more digital controls and communication systems for remote and/or automatic control.

The advanced hybrid tank is a multifunctional tank with a shape that makes for easy construction and assembly while maximizing the ability of thermal syphoning. This invention can store an inlet liquid and thermal energy from a thermal collector, for outlet usage in multiple applications. The tank typically has a coupling side and a thermal syphoning side which together allows for coupling with an advanced PV cooling panel, an advanced thermal focusing panel, or a roof structure.

An adaptor for adapting a solar electric generator and solar heater to a thermal storage device, the adaptor including a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port and a pump configured for receiving a fluid through the third port and pulling the fluid through the third port from a thermal storage device to the fourth port, wherein the first port and the fourth port are configured to be supplied on a first surface and the second port and third port are configured to be supplied on a second surface.

A solar photovoltaic cell system used for supply of electrical power for various uses. The cell system includes photovoltaic cells received around a tubular shaped, elongated tank. The tank is disposed in front of a concave light reflector. The light reflector is rotatably mounted on a latitude adjustable stand. The stand is also used to hold opposite ends of the tank. The light reflector is used for reflecting increased sun light onto the photovoltaic cells. Electrical energy from the photovoltaic cells is used to power various types of electrical applications.

An improved modular, removable system of building-integrated solar panel photovoltaics for easy residential and commercial roof installation for generating electrical and thermal energy.