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.

A heating installation (1) comprising: a first circuit (C1) containing a medium; a first heat pump (5) for heating a medium by absorbing heat energy from the medium in the first circuit; a thermal energy store (2) connected to the first circuit in order to allow heat exchange between the thermal energy store and the medium in the first circuit; a second circuit (C2) containing a medium; a second heat pump (10) for heating a medium by absorbing heat energy from the medium in the second circuit; a cooling circuit (CC) containing a medium; a first heat exchanger (8) for transferring heat from the medium in the cooling circuit (CC) to the medium in the first circuit (C1); and a second heat exchanger (9) for transferring heat from the medium in the cooling circuit (CC) to the medium in the second circuit (C2).

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 refrigeration cycle apparatus (50) includes: a main refrigerant circuit (21) having a compressor (1), a radiator (2), a first expansion mechanism (5), a second expansion mechanism (6), and an evaporator (4); an injection passage (22) for supplying an intermediate-pressure refrigerant to an injection port 1c of the compressor 1; and a water circuit (30) through which water to be heated in the radiator (2) flows. The refrigeration cycle apparatus (50) includes a sub heat exchanger (3) for cooling the water in the water circuit (30) by exchanging heat between the refrigerant in the injection passage (22) and the water to be heated in the radiator (2).

A system and method for heating water are provided. The system includes a first subcooler for receiving a first water flow, a second subcooler for receiving a second water flow, a first condenser in fluid communication with the first subcooler and the second subcooler for receiving water from both subcoolers, and a second condenser in fluid communication with the first condenser. The method involves receiving a flow of water, and transferring heat to the water using the system.

Heating and/or cooling systems, related methods, particularly those utilized for the heating and/or cooling of large structures, areas, or environments are disclosed herein. In one example embodiment, such a system includes a stratified thermal storage tank (STST) having a hot section, cold section, and thermocline section. The system includes conduits configured to be coupled to a heating load so that a first amount of the fluid can flow between the STST and load, and also includes a heat pump including an evaporator and a gas cooler. A second amount of the fluid can flow between the STST and gas cooler. The heat pump is configured to cycle a refrigerant, so that heat transported from the STST by a third amount of the fluid to the evaporator is communicated to the gas cooler and transported to the hot section, whereby the heat can be transported for receipt by the load.

A hybrid heat pump system comprise a geothermal heat pump system, an air source heat pump system, and a buffer heat-storage configured to exchange a heat with the geothermal heat pump system and the air source heat pump system and to store therein the exchanged heat. The buffer heat-storage comprises fluid circulation lines fluid-coupled to and between an air heater and the buffer heat-storage to realize a circulation of a refrigerant fluid therebetween, which receives a heat energy from the buffer heat-storage, wherein the air heater is configured to heat the air thereto from an outdoor using the refrigerant fluid.

A thermal system includes a borehole heat exchanger, a facility having a peak heating load, a data center including at least one heat generating electronic component, and a ground-source heat pump. The data center, the borehole heat exchanger, and the ground-source heat pump are connected in a dynamic downhole fluid circuit with a flow of a downhole fluid. The dynamic downhole fluid circuit is configured to reject heat from the data center to the facility and to the BHE, and a power capacity of the data center is less than the peak heating load of the facility.

A thermal system includes a borehole heat exchanger, a facility having a peak heating load, a data center including at least one heat generating electronic component, and a ground-source heat pump. The data center, the borehole heat exchanger, and the ground-source heat pump are connected in a dynamic downhole fluid circuit with a flow of a downhole fluid. The dynamic downhole fluid circuit is configured to reject heat from the data center to the facility and to the BHE, and a power capacity of the data center is less than the peak heating load of the facility.