A system and method for improving the responsiveness of forced hot water heat exchangers placed around the baseboards of conditioned living spaces and improving the efficiently of centralized hot water heating systems. The control system may comprise replacement baseboard heat exchanger cover, a blower, a diffuser and a sensor which are mounted to one or more baseboard heat exchangers. When heating system and forced hot water reaches its operating temperature, the blower activates to rapidly transfer energy from the heated water into the air and disperse treated, heated air into the room. After the centralized heating system turns off, the system continues to disperse the treated, heated air until the latent heat of the heating element centralized heating system has been extracted and the return loop temperatures are at levels consistent with optimal boiler performance.

Building constructions, building heating and/or cooling methods, and/or heating and/or cooling systems are provided that can include interior conduits configured to convey a fluid coupled with exterior conduits extending through the grounds surrounding the building.

An HVAC duct or utilicore for substantially containing air flowing longitudinally therethrough has at least one wall comprised of a poured high thermal mass material with at least one pipe embedded therein during a pouring process, the at least one pipe for circulating a fluid throughout the at least one wall at a temperature that is different from an ambient temperature of the air flowing through the utilicore, for effecting heat transfer through the at least one wall between the fluid in the at least one conduit and the air flowing through the utilicore. A side wall of an elongate monolithic poured concrete building construction module, having a substantially planar main wall and at least one side wall extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis, having a pipe embedded therewithin, may form at least a portion of an element that defines the utilicore. A story-defining structure for a building may comprise a plurality of at least one of such construction modules, each module supported at least two points by a support structure, each module being oriented such that distal ends of the side walls thereof engage the support structure, the at least one side wall and the main wall defining an elongate arch, the modules being juxtaposed in parallel relation to define at least one elongate utilicore between the arches. The support structure may comprise one or more modules employed as substantially horizontal beams or substantially vertical columns or both.

Building heating and/or cooling methods are provided that can include continuously distributing fluid from within conduits within a concrete floor of a building to conduits within grounds surrounding and/or supporting the building while transferring air to/from the interior of the building via a heat exchanger.

Building heating/cooling systems are provided that can include: a building comprising walls and concrete floors; fluid containing conduit within the concrete floors; circulating fluid within the conduit; a least one heat exchanger operatively associated within the building and configured to transfer air to/from the building; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to fluid circulation controls and heat exchanger controls.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a hydronic heating system utilized to heat a mobile living unit. The mobile living unit may include a bottom floor and a raised floor separated by a conditioned basement which funnels cold air from the conditioned basement through a convector. The convector heats the air causing the air to rise through the walls in the mobile living unit. The warm air is then released out through one or more vents in the walls into the interior living space of the mobile living unit.

A hydronic system includes a partition, a first conduit embedded in a first side of the partition, a second conduit embedded in a second side of the partition, a first sheet of finishing material covering the first conduit, a second sheet of finishing material covering the second conduit, and at least one valve and at least one pump. The at least one valve and at least one pump are configured to control a flow of a fluid inside the first conduit and the second conduit. When the hydronic system is operating in an isolating mode, the fluid flows in a first closed loop through the first conduit and the fluid flows in a second closed loop through the second conduit. When the hydronic system is operating in a heat exchange mode, the fluid flows between the first conduit and the second conduit in a third closed loop.