The remote control of networks of heat-pump systems, in particular where thermal stores are used, for the purpose of demand side management. A heat generating system comprising a heat pump, electrical immersion elements, thermal stores, pumps, heat exchangers, a solar collector, a software driven control system, a 5 means of remote control and a local control network linking local systems. This provides the means to be able to remotely control the timing and quantity of energy drawn from the grid in order to provide instantaneously controllable electrical demand for the purposes of grid balancing whilst maintaining a continuous supply of heat to the building or process for which it is built.

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.

A heating installation for premises includes a controller coupled to an air source heat pump; a premises heating arrangement; and a local weather sensing arrangement. The controller is configured to receive weather forecast data from an external source, and local weather status information from the local weather sensing arrangement. The controller is also configured to set a control algorithm based on both the weather forecast data and the local weather status information, and control a supply of energy from the air source heat pump to the heating arrangement based on the set control algorithm; and increasing energy input into the heating arrangement in anticipation of a forecast fall in the temperature of the air from which the air source heat pump extracts energy. A method of controlling a premises heating installation is also disclosed.

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.

A heating installation comprising: a first circuit (C1); a second circuit (C2); a first heat pump (4) for heating the medium in the first circuit; a heat exchanger (10) which is arranged in the second circuit and connected between a condenser (4b) and an expansion valve (4d) of the first heat pump; a second heat pump (11) arranged for heating a medium by absorbing heat energy from the medium in the second circuit; and a first and a second accumulator tank (A1, A2) arranged in series in the second circuit for accumulating the medium in the second circuit. The accumulator tanks are alternately connectable to the second heat pump in order to allow medium to circulate between the first accumulator tank and the evaporator of the second heat pump in a first operating situation and allow medium to circulate between the second accumulator tank and the evaporator of the second heat pump in a second operating situation.

A heating installation comprising: a first circuit (C1); a second circuit (C2); a first heat pump (4) for heating the medium in the first circuit; a heat exchanger (10) which is arranged in the second circuit and connected between a condenser (4b) and an expansion valve (4d) of the first heat pump; second and third heat pumps (11, 13) arranged for heating a medium by absorbing heat energy from the medium in the second circuit; and an accumulator tank (12) arranged in the second circuit downstream of the second heat pump (11). The accumulator tank is connected to an evaporator (13a) of the third heat pump (13) in order to allow medium to circulate between the accumulator tank and this evaporator so that heat exchange between the medium in the second circuit and a working medium of the third heat pump is possible via the evaporator of the third heat pump.

A heat pump heating and hot-water system includes a water heating heat exchanger for heating water by heat exchange with a heating medium heated by a heat pump unit, an indoor heating unit, a heating circulation circuit for selectively pumping the heating medium to either of the water heating heat exchanger and the indoor heating unit using a heating medium pump, and a hot-water accumulating circuit that sends water in a hot-water storage tank to the water heating heat exchanger and returns water having passed through the water heating heat exchanger to the hot-water storage tank using a water pump. The volumetric flow rate of the heating medium pumped to the water heating heat exchanger by the heating medium pump is higher than or equal to the volumetric flow rate of the water pumped to the water heating heat exchanger by the water pump.

A heat extracting system (100) arranged to be connected to a thermal energy circuit (300) comprising a hot conduit (302) configured to allow thermal fluid of a first temperature to flow therethrough, and a cold conduit (304) configured to allow thermal fluid of a second temperature to flow therethrough, the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, and a heat depositing system (200) arranged to be connected to a thermal energy circuit (300) comprising a hot conduit (302) configured to allow thermal fluid of a first temperature to flow therethrough, and a cold conduit (304) configured to allow thermal fluid of a second temperature to flow therethrough, the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. Also a heat depositing system (200) is disclosed.

A multi-split air or ground source heat pump system designed to provide a residential application with space heating and cooling, along with supplemental hydronic heating and potable water preheating. The supplemental hydronic heating supports applications like radiant floor heating and heating swimming pools. Commercially, the multi-split air or ground source heat pump system expands on this technology to incorporate comfort and/or process heating, cooling, and hydronic heating applications utilizing multiple types of energy sources.

When hot water supply and room heating are requested simultaneously, a hot water supply operation, by which energy saving is achieved without impairing the comfortability in a room, is performed. A heat-pump apparatus of a variable operation capacity type, a primary water circuit, a hot water tank, a room heater, and a controller are provided. The controller sets a hot water supply operation completion target time in the case of a requests for a simultaneous hot water supply and room heating operation, based on a temperature difference between the outdoor air temperature and the indoor temperature, and determines the rotation speed of the compressor in the hot water supply operation completion target time set.