A hot-water supply system heats up water by power generated by power generation means. The hot water supply system includes a compressor and a water heat-up unit. In the hot-water supply system, the compressor compresses refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant through a refrigerant circuit. The water heat-up unit heats up water by changing, in accordance with the generated power, a rotation rate of an electric motor for driving the compressor.

A system for regulating a building energy supply and distribution installation, the installation including items of energy collection equipment, each of which is in an energy transfer relationship with a respective source; items of energy transformation equipment powered by the collection equipment; items of energy using equipment; the regulation system configured for defining, for the items of equipment, different respective activation states chosen according to parameters, for optimizing with regard to criteria. The system implements a method in the installation, with the following steps: regulation is performed by placing the items of equipment in respective activation states chosen according to demand and parameters, for the purpose of optimizing with regard to criteria; at an intervention instant of regulation, regulation takes forecasts relating to at least one of the parameters into account, the forecasts relating to a period after the intervention instant. A related installation includes the regulation system.

A system for regulating a building energy supply and distribution installation, the installation including items of energy collection equipment, each of which is in an energy transfer relationship with a respective source; items of energy transformation equipment powered by the collection equipment; items of energy using equipment; the regulation system configured for defining, for the items of equipment, different respective activation states chosen according to parameters, for optimizing with regard to criteria. The system implements a method in the installation, with the following steps: regulation is performed by placing the items of equipment in respective activation states chosen according to demand and parameters, for the purpose of optimizing with regard to criteria; at an intervention instant of regulation, regulation takes forecasts relating to at least one of the parameters into account, the forecasts relating to a period after the intervention instant. A related installation includes the regulation system.

A water heater auxiliary heating system includes a heat pump. It further includes a first tap to circulate water from a water tank to a heat exchanger within the heat pump. It further includes a second tap to circulate water back to the water tank. The heat pump is controlled by an energy management system to preferentially operate based at least in part on a status of a site energy system that the energy management system is configured to manage. The water tank stores excess energy that is generated locally at the site energy system.

A water heater auxiliary heating system includes a heat pump. It further includes a first tap to circulate water from a water tank to a heat exchanger within the heat pump. It further includes a second tap to circulate water back to the water tank. The heat pump is controlled by an energy management system to preferentially operate based at least in part on a status of a site energy system that the energy management system is configured to manage. The water tank stores excess energy that is generated locally at the site energy system.

A burner appliance is disclosed. The burner appliance includes a byproduct sensor in an exhaust flue and/or a barometric pressure sensor to detect an environmental pressure at the burner appliance. By calculating concentrations of combustion byproducts in the exhaust with the byproduct sensor, a controller can adjust blower speed and/or fuel rate to modify combustion efficiency. By calculating the environmental pressure at the burner with the barometric pressure sensor, the controller can adjust blower speed and/or fuel rate to modify combustion efficiency. The barometric-pressure data can also be used to adjust blower speed control bands, thereby calibrating the control bands based on environmental pressure. The environmental pressure can be indicative of altitude and/or weather conditions. Methods of operating said burner appliance are also disclosed.

A local heating system is presented. The local heating system comprising: a first heat source (10) connectable to a heating grid (110) and arranged to extract heat from the heating grid (110); a second heat source (20) connectable to an electrical energy grid (120) and to transform electricity feed through the electrical energy grid (120) into heat; a heat emitting device (30); a distribution system (40) for circulating heat transfer fluid between the heat emitting device (30) and the first and second heat sources (10, 20); and a controller (50) configured to control the first and second heat source's (10, 20) relative outtake of heat from the heating grid (110) and the electrical energy grid (120), respectively.

An environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions within an open interior of an agricultural building includes a main controller, and a plurality of zone systems. Each zone system is configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, and includes at least one environmental control device, a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone, and a smart hub configured to control the at least one environmental control device of the corresponding zone based on low and high setpoint temperatures for the zone issued by the main controller and the temperature signal issued by the temperature sensor of the zone. The main controller is configured to prevent activation of an environmental control device in one of the zones by the smart hub based on an operating condition of an environmental control device in another zone.

An environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions within an open interior of an agricultural building includes a main controller, and a plurality of zone systems. Each zone system is configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, and includes at least one environmental control device, a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone, and a smart hub configured to control the at least one environmental control device of the corresponding zone based on low and high setpoint temperatures for the zone issued by the main controller and the temperature signal issued by the temperature sensor of the zone. The main controller is configured to prevent activation of an environmental control device in one of the zones by the smart hub based on an operating condition of an environmental control device in another zone.

A method for controlling a water heater comprising: receiving report information transmitted by a user-wearable device at a predetermined frequency; determining whether a user is coming back according to user location information included in the report information; and if the user is coming back, turning on a return water pump to permit water outputted from a water outlet of the water heater to return to the water heater through a water return port. The present disclosure determines a movement direction and the user location by using report information transmitted by the user-wearable device. If the user is coming back, the return water pump is turned on to permit water to return, so that the user can take a hot bath immediately after arriving home, thereby improving user's experience.