A wall construction formed of solid wood members. The wall construction provides for a heating and cooling system that synergistically works with the inherent insulative properties of solid wood members. The wall construction comprises channels formed in the solid wood members to accommodate conduits for heating and cooling. The conduits are routed through multiple solid wood members of a wall and are positioned to efficiently heat and cool the interior of a building. Other grooves may be formed in the top side of the solid wood members to accommodate conduits for heating, cooling electrical service and communications carriers.

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.

Among other things, there is shown embodiments of an enclosure such as a portable building with features focusing on overall improvement in energy usage. Wall, roof and floor configurations are disclosed that provide significant energy savings. Methods are also disclosed for preparing such features and/or refitting existing portable buildings for such energy savings.

The method of construction of a wall heating panel and a wall heating panel consists in constructing an aluminium multi-channel collector, preferably with one phase transition channel, connecting it inseparably with vertical aluminium heating elements, arranging the heating elements in the grooves of a dry wall construction board, preferably magnesium, and filling the space between the grooves and the heating elements with elastic compound, and then applying paper—aluminium foil laminate onto the whole surface of the board. A wall heating panel consists of an aluminium collector (1) with stub pipes (2), inside the collector there are horizontal parallel phase transition channels (3) and a water channel (4), the phase transition channel (3) is inseparably connected with the vertical aluminium heating elements (5) which are inserted into the grooves of the dry wall construction board (6), spaces between the grooves and the heating elements are filled with elastic compound (7) and sealed with paper—aluminium foil laminate (8), whereas the top part of the collector (1) adjoins the bottom surface of the board (6).

A hydronic floor heating system as it relates to an HVAC apparatus, approach and system. Aspects of the present system and approach may include a radiant floor optimization mode, low floor temperature in vacation mode, modifying a 300 Hz, or so, reading principle base on implementation of Pseudo-random jittering of a reading event improving short-term accuracy of the individual readings, and a combination of hardware and software filters for using thermal sensors with extended cable length.

The invention relates to a receiving structure (1) which is intended for casting into a matrix material and has at least one receiving element (4), which projects out of the receiving structure (1) in such a way that it can project into the matrix material. According to the invention, the receiving element (4) has in its interior a receiving space (6) which has an opening (10) facing the surface (94) of the component (90), through which opening (10) a functional module (60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88) can be guided for insertion into the receiving space (6), wherein the receiving space (6) is universally designed for receiving and connecting each of the functional modules (60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 89), wherein at least one position-securing element (40) is provided for securing the position of reinforcement (96) and substantially predetermines the outer shape of the component (90).

The invention further relates to a component (90) comprising a textile reinforcement (96), a matrix material, and conduits (16) for the passage of electricity and/or fluids. According to the invention, a receiving structure (1) comprising receiving elements (4) is embedded in the matrix material and is connected to the textile reinforcement (96) and/or the conduits (16) via position-securing elements (40), wherein the textile reinforcement (96) is aligned in a load-dependent manner with respect to the receiving elements (4), and the receiving elements (4) of the receiving structure (1) are designed in such a way that an influence on the load-bearing behavior of the produced component (90) is minimized.

The invention also relates to a method of producing a device with the receiving structure (1).

A non-contact actuation assembly configured to operate a communication line of an infrastructure system through a panel having an external face configured to be directed into an interior of a building structure, and an opposite internal face, said assembly comprising; an actuator configured to be positioned adjacent said external face by a user during operation, said actuator comprising an actuating member constituted by at least one of a magnetic member and a magnetizable member; and an operator configured to be disposed adjacent said internal face during operation, and control communication at said communication line, said operator comprising an operating member constituted by a matching one of said magnetic member and said magnetizable member; wherein upon said positioning of said actuator adjacent said external face, in register with said operator, said actuating member and said operating member are configured to be magnetically coupled such that said operator is switchable, upon disposition of said actuator member with respect to said external face, at least between a first state in which communication in said communication line is established and a second state n which communication in said communication line is obstructed.

The present disclosure relates to wood template-supported phase change material (PCM) composites having thermal energy storage applications. A wood template-supported PCM composite may include a wood template that has had at least a portion of its xylan and/or lignin removed and saturated with a PCM. The PCM may be stabilized with a cross linkable network for improved infiltration into the wood template. The wood template-supported PCM composite may be formed by extracting xylan and/or lignin from the wood to create a wood template, densifying at least a portion of the wood template, and inserting a PCM into the wood template.

Systems and methods are described herein for a composite building panel for use in a panelized structure. In some aspects, a composite building panel may include: a core defining a channel formed via subtractive manufacturing; a utility conduit placed or formed in and bonded to the channel and enclosed by the core, where the utility conduit exits the core along a first mating edge of the core; and first and second skin elements bonded to the core to form a layered structure. In some cases, the layered structure may also include a reinforced block coupled to at least the first fiber-reinforced skin element and defining part of the first mating edge, where the reinforced block defines a first portion of the first mating edge for mating with another composite building panel of the panelized structure.

A wall construction formed of solid wood members. The wall construction provides for a heating and cooling system that synergistically works with the inherent insulative properties of solid wood members. The wall construction comprises channels formed in the solid wood members to accommodate conduits for heating and cooling. The conduits are routed through multiple solid wood members of a wall and are positioned to efficiently heat and cool the interior of a building. Other grooves may be formed in the top side of the solid wood members to accommodate conduits for heating, cooling electrical service and communications carriers.