A temperature management system for a private household or public building wherein there is one hot reservoir and one cold reservoir which are or can be coupled with at least one solar collector or outdoor heat exchanger that is installed outdoors for the purpose of heating or cooling the respective reservoir.

The present invention relates to HVAC-systems operating under new ZERO-MIXING (ZM) water flow condition as innovative way to promote consistent highly energy efficient performance on SOURCE-heating/cooling thermal production and BUILDING's system distribution (FIG. 1). ZM technology is applicable; but not limited, to large-residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. Current state on HVAC technology, for system hydronics loop-flow, do not provide flows temperature segregation mechanisms between heating/chiller-plants hot/cold water supply and warmer water system returns. The result, a system that continuously operates at WATER MIXING conditions that impair equipment efficiency and output, and therefore, overall system energy performance.

Various embodiments include a method of controlling heat exchange via a terminal unit of a terminal-side circuit of a system for HVAC with a source-side circuit coupled to the terminal-side circuit comprising: reading a terminal-side supply temperature signal; producing a supply temperature from the terminal-side supply temperature signal; estimating a percentage demand signal as a function of the supply temperature; estimating an actual demand for power by rescaling a value of maximum available power by the percentage demand signal; comparing the actual demand for power to the value of maximum available power; and if the actual demand for power exceeds the value of maximum available power: producing a first flow control signal based on the value of maximum available power; and controlling a flow of a fluid through the source-side circuit based on the first flow control signal.

A micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) system includes a liquid cooled variable speed genset that is located to the exterior of a building and that is provides heat and power to the interior of the building. The genset may be configured to output an electrical supply of between approximately between 500W and 40 kW. A coolant loop may extend from the exterior genset to the interior of a building and is configured to reclaim heat from one or more sources of waste heat at the engine, generator, oil and/or exhaust. The reclaimed heat is then transferred, directly or indirectly, to the air flow path of a building heating system. In one embodiment, the reclaimed heat is transferred to a liquid circuit via a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and thence to the cold air intake of a forced air furnace via a liquid-to-air heat exchanger. A thermostat may control heat transfer from the mCHP to the heating system.

A hydraulic manifold for hydraulic heating and/or cooling systems includes a feed conduit and a return conduit. The feed conduit includes at least one feed connection and the return conduit includes at least one return connection, for the connection of a load circuit. The manifold has a modular construction with a main module and connected load module(s). The main module includes a section of the feed conduit and/or of the return conduit as well as an electric connection. The load module includes a section of the feed conduit with a feed connection, and/or a section of the return conduit with a return connection, as well as at least one regulating device for regulating the flow through a load circuit connected to the feed connection and to the return connection. The main module includes a manifold control device for the control of the regulating device in the load module(s).

Systems and methods for preventing freeze damage to heating system pipes are provided. In some embodiments, systems for preventing freeze damage to heating system pipes that carry a liquid used to heat a heated space and that are exposed to freezing temperatures outside of the heated space are provided, the systems comprising: a hardware controller that causes the liquid to be circulated through the heating system pipes irrespective of the air temperature in the heated space.

A hydronic system (1) includes a side (3) with a first port (21) connected with a source element output (23), a second port (27) connected with a source element input (29), and a controllable primary side flow actuator (9) for providing a primary side flow (q.sub.1). Another side (5) has a third port (31) connected with a load element input (33), a fourth port (35) connected with a load element output (37), and a controllable secondary side flow actuator (13) providing a secondary side flow (q.sub.2). A transfer element (17) is connected with the first port, the second port, the third port and the fourth port. A flow control module (39) adapts a transfer element thermal power transfer by controlling the primary side flow actuator and/or the secondary side flow actuator by minimizing a signed deviation value (ΔΔv) that is correlated with the transfer element thermal power transfer.

An air conditioning system (1) has a heater unit (3) providing a hot water flow (7) and receiving a hot water return (31) in hot water loop, a chiller unit (5) providing a cold water flow (13) and receiving a cold water return (33) in a cold water loop, one or more air to water heat exchangers (17), and one or more control valves (11), each control valve (11) associated with one of the air to water heat exchangers (17) and arranged to receive the hot water flow (7) and cold water flow (13), selectively provide the flow from a one of the hot water loop or cold water loop to the associated air to water heat exchanger (17), receive a return from the associated air to water heat exchanger (17), and selectively provide the return from the associated air to water heat exchanger (17) to the return of the one of the hot water loop or cold water loop.

A system for heating a building, including a heat generator to heat a carrier fluid, at least one radiating element for transferring heat to a thermal load included in a building, a delivery conduit for transferring the carrier fluid from the heat generator to the radiating element, a return conduit for transferring the carrier fluid from the radiating element to the heat generator, a three-way valve arranged along the delivery conduit and connected to the return conduit, the three-way valve being operable to mix the carrier fluid in the delivery conduit to the carrier fluid in the return conduit, a plurality of temperature sensors arranged to measure the temperature of the carrier fluid and a temperature of the environment outside the building, and a control unit operatively connected to the heat generator, to the three-way valve and to the temperature sensors.

The disclosed technology includes an on-demand water heater which uses a heat pump to heat the fluid. The on-demand heat pump water heater can have a low fluid capacity heating chamber which has an inlet and an outlet, a heat pump for heating the fluid, and a controller to control the heat pump and maintain the temperature of the fluid at a predetermined temperature. The on-demand heat pump water heater can include one or more temperature sensors, flow sensors, fluid mixing valves, or supplemental heat sources.