Hot water heating systems and methods for heating the atmosphere within a predefined area. The systems include a hybrid water heating and storage apparatus configured to heat and store water including a heat pump and an electric heating tank. The systems include a recirculating pump configured to selectively draw a hot output flow of heated water from the electric heating tank, pass the heated water through a heat exchange fixture to heat the atmosphere within a predefined area, and direct the water back to the electric heating tank from the heat exchange fixture as a cold input flow. The systems further include thermostat electrically coupled to the recirculating pump and positioned within the predefined area configured to sense the temperature of the atmosphere within the first predefined area and selective operate of the recirculating pump based on a sensed temperature and a user selected temperature.

A thermodynamic boiler for exchanging (providing or drawing) heat with a heating circuit includes a thermal compressor. The thermal compressor acts on a compressible fluid and includes at least one compression stage, with an alternating bi-directional piston separating a first chamber and a second chamber, and a first fuel burner forming a heat source coupled to the first chamber. The thermal compressor uses the heating circuit as a cold source coupled to the second chamber and forms the compression function of a reversible heat pump type loop,

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.

Provided is a method of disinfecting a hot water supply system having a plurality of controllable hot-water outlets and a water heating arrangement including an energy store comprising a phase change material that has a phase transition temperature of less than 60 Celsius, the method comprising: informing an operator of a future disinfection event; increasing a hot water supply temperature from a pre-event temperature of less than 60 Celsius to a disinfection temperature; providing a signal to the operator to cause the operator to open a first of the hot water outlets; providing a signal to the operator to close the first outlet after a disinfection period; providing a signal to the operator to open another hot water outlet; providing a signal to the operator to close the another hot water outlet after a disinfection period; and repeating the signalling to the operator to open and then, after a disinfection period, to close each of the plurality of controllable hot-water outlets; reducing the hot water supply temperature to the pre-event temperature of less than 60 Celsius from the disinfection temperature; and indicating to the operator the completion of the disinfection event. A corresponding hot water supply system is also provided, the system preferably including a heat pump.

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.

A manifold (15) comprising a flow chamber (35) for receiving flow heat exchange water from respective heat sources (3, 5, 7) through first inlet ports (47, 48) and from which the flow heat exchange water is delivered to heat exchange circuits (8, 9) through flow ports (57, 58). A return chamber (36) in the manifold (15) for receiving return heat exchange water from the heat exchange circuits (8, 9) through return ports (57, 58), and from which the return heat exchange water is returned to some of the heat sources (3, 5, 7) through first outlet ports (53, 54). A bypass chamber (37) located in the manifold (15) between the flow chamber (35) and the return chamber (36) receives flow water from the flow chamber (35), which has not been drawn off by the heat exchange circuits (8, 9), through a communicating passageway (40). Heat exchange water from the bypass chamber (37) is returned through second outlet ports (55, 56) to others of the heat sources (3, 5, 7).

Disclosed is a method of mapping an in-building water supply installation having multiple controllable water outlets, the installation including a supply of water; in a water flow path between the supply of water and the controllable water outlets, a flow measurement device and a flow regulator; a processor being operatively connected to the flow measurement device and the at least one flow regulator. The method comprises opening a first of the water outlets and processing signals from the flow measurement device with the processor at least until a first flow characteristic is determined; closing the first of the water outlets; repeating the opening, processing and closing operations for each of the other water outlets to determine for each controllable water outlet a respective flow characteristic. Subsequently the processor is configured to; identify the opening of a particular one of the plurality of controllable water outlets based on the similarity of a detected flow characteristic to a respective flow characteristic; and control said at least one flow regulator, based on the identification, to control a supply of water to the identified controllable water outlet.

The present disclosure provides hot water heating systems and methods for heating the atmosphere within a predefined area. The systems include a hybrid water heating and storage apparatus configured to heat and store water including a heat pump and an electric heating tank. The systems include a recirculating pump configured to selectively draw a hot output flow of heated water from the electric heating tank, pass the heated water through a heat exchange fixture to heat the atmosphere within a predefined area, and direct the water back to the electric heating tank from the heat exchange fixture as a cold input flow. The systems further include thermostat electrically coupled to the recirculating pump and positioned within the predefined area configured to sense the temperature of the atmosphere within the first predefined area and selective operate of the recirculating pump based on a sensed temperature and a user selected temperature.

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 adsorptive heat transformation arrangement includes at least two adsorbers which are connected to at least one pump, an evaporator, and a condenser, a heat store comprising a plurality of horizontal loading and unloading devices for simultaneously stratifying and/or withdrawing a heat transfer fluid, and two or more supply lines fluidically coupled to one another and fluidically coupled to at least one adsorption module. Each horizontal loading and unloading device can be supplied with heat transfer fluid via at least one of the two or more supply lines.