The invention provides an apparatus which can heat water using a Fresnel lens or magnifying glass to focus and concentrate sunlight on water-filled radiator-like tubes which move water, by the water pressure from a water spigot/bib (without pumping), to:

1. move the heated water through tubes to heat any space inside any building, and

2. provide steam to power a steam-powered electricity generator to provide electricity, and charge a battery, during daylight hours, and then use the charged battery to supply electricity during the night hours, and

3. move water, cooled by the subsurface ground, by water pressure from a water spigot/bib without pumping, into proximity with any air space inside any building to cool the air space, and

4. array a series of magnifying glasses or Fresnel lenses in order to catch the rays of the sun from sunrise to sunset and focus those rays on the car radiator-like tubes full of water in order to heat the water without using fossil fuels, and

5. support the, array of magnifying glasses or Fresnel lenses and car-radiator-like water tubes with arch structures to hear the weight and protect the structure from earthquake damage.

The invention relates to a system for extracting thermal energy, a method for operating such a system and a thermal module for such a system. More particularly, the system is for extracting thermal energy from sunlight or other thermic energy sources.

The invention provides an apparatus which can heat water using a Fresnel lens or magnifying glass to focus and concentrate sunlight on water-filled radiator-like tubes which move water, by the water pressure from a water spigot/bib (without pumping), to: 1. move the heated water through tubes to heat any space inside any building, and 2. provide steam to power a steam-powered electricity generator to provide electricity, and charge a battery, during daylight hours, and then use the charged battery to supply electricity during the night hours, and 3. move water, cooled by the subsurface ground, by water pressure from a water spigot/bib without pumping, into proximity with any air space inside any building to cool the air space, and 4. array a series of magnifying glasses or Fresnel lenses in order to catch the rays of the sun from sunrise to sunset and focus those rays on the car radiator-like tubes full of water in order to heat the water without using fossil fuels, and 5. support the, array of magnifying glasses or Fresnel lenses and car-radiator-like water tubes with arch structures to hear the weight and protect the structure from earthquake damage.

A system for hot and cold water supply to consumers that includes photovoltaic solar panel, wind turbine, water heating tank, water tank and cooling system. The heating tank includes an electrical connection mechanism, an outer layer, a water bag and heating carpet that is positioned in a dry space between them. The water tank includes an outer layer and a water bag. The electrical connection mechanism connects the heating carpet and the cooling system to the photovoltaic solar panel and to the wind turbine. The volume of the heating tank or the water tank are larger than the volume of the average hourly hot or cold water consumption of the consumer. The system is able to supply hot and cold water also at times that the photovoltaic solar panel and the wind turbine do not produce electricity.

A building-integrated solar energy system is disclosed that comprises an evacuated closed-loop conduit network circulating a working fluid through a solar thermal collector and at least one heat usage device, wherein the effective entirety of the surfaces of the closed-loop conduit network are in contact with the working fluid such that phase change occurs whenever heat energy is added by the solar thermal collector or removed by a heat usage device. The working fluid is adiabatically isolated and contained in a low pressure environment within the closed-loop conduit network. The full surface contact and low-pressure isolation of the working fluid dramatically reduces temperature differentials and energy losses, allowing for highly efficient and cost-effective heat collection and distribution.

The present disclosure provides a solar energy system. The solar energy system comprises a solar collector for providing energy generated from incident solar radiation. The system comprises a first heat exchange system comprising an ejector that is arranged to operate using at least a portion of the energy provided by the solar energy collector. Further, the system comprises a second heat exchange system arranged to operate using energy from an energy source other than a source of solar source. The solar energy system is arranged for direct or indirect transfer of thermal energy between the first heat exchange system and a region and between the second heat exchange system and the region. Further, the solar energy system is arranged for direct or indirect transfer of thermal energy from the second heat exchange system for use by at least one of: the first heat exchange system and a system for heating water.

There is provided a hot water supply system including: a controllable hot water supply outlet having when fully opened a given flowrate; a thermal energy store, containing an energy storage medium comprising a phase change material to store energy as latent heat, that is configured to receive energy from a source of renewable energy; a renewable energy source; the hot water supply system being operable, under the control of the processor, to heat water that is to be supplied to the hot water outlet to a target system supply temperature using a selection of one or more of the renewable energy source, energy from the thermal energy store, and optionally an auxiliary water heater intermediate the thermal energy store and the hot water supply outlet; wherein the thermal energy store has an energy storage capacity, when fully charged, that is sufficient to provide hot water to the hot water outlet, at the given flowrate, and at the target system supply temperature for a period of at least 8 minutes, and preferably at least 10 minutes; wherein the renewable energy source is also configured to provide building heating under control of the processor; the processor being configured to: monitor actual demand for hot water from the hot water supply system; predict future demand for hot water from the hot water supply system based on the monitored actual demand; pre-charge the thermal energy store so that sufficient energy will be stored in the thermal energy store to satisfy the predicted demand; and to temporarily divert heat from the renewable energy source to charge the phase change material rather than to provide building heating. A corresponding method is also provided.

A hot water supply system 400 comprises a cold water inlet 402 coupled to a valve 404 which determines the degree of flow in a first path 406 and a second path 408. The first path comprises an Energy Storage Arrangement including a heat exchanger 410 which can heat the water from the inlet. The second path includes an electrical heater 422 which can also heat water from the inlet. The two paths each include a respective flow sensor 416, 428 and the paths re-join before providing an outlet 420 from the supply system via a temperature sensor 418. A controller 430 controls the valve 404 and the electrical heater 422 in response to the sensor signals to provide hot water at a desired temperature using a suitable proportion of stored energy and electrical energy. By charging the Energy Storage Arrangement using a heat pump, an economical and responsive hot water supply system is provided.

Provided is an energy bank including a heat exchanger, the energy bank comprising an enclosure, and within the enclosure: an input-side circuit of the heat exchanger for connection to an energy source; an output-side circuit of the heat exchanger for connection to an energy sink; and a phase-change material for the storage of energy; the energy bank including one or more sensors to provide measurement data indicative of the amount of energy stored as latent heat in the phase change material, the energy bank comprising an optical source to launch light into the phase change material, and the one or more sensors includes an optical sensing arrangement to detect light launched from the optical source after the light has passed through the phase change material, wherein the optical source and the optical sensing arrangement is configured to give a graduated measure of a plurality of different energy storage states from empty to full.

Also provided are: an installation including such an energy bank coupled between a heat pump and the hot water system, a processor being configured to make a determination to trigger the starting of the heat pump based on measurement data from the sensors; and a method of controlling a heat pump in such an installation, the method comprising using measurement data from the one or more sensors to trigger the starting of the heat pump.

Provided is a method of signalling a command to a water heating appliance remote from a controllable water outlet fed from the appliance via a water supply installation, the method comprising: monitoring the water supply that feeds the controllable water outlet; detecting a sequence of changes in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet; correlating the sequence of changes with a stored pattern; detecting a match above a stored threshold; interpreting the match as a command. It is thus possible to manipulate a tap, or other controllable water outlet, to signal to a processor so that the temperature or flow rate of water supplied by the outlet can be increased. Thus a water supply system may have default flow and temperature levels designed for economy and low water usage, but a user can on demand override one or both of these limitations without the necessity of needing to go to the appliance to reset it. The water heating appliance is preferably an instantaneous water heating appliance. Also provided is a water supply installation including a water heating appliance, a controllable water outlet remote from the appliance, a water supply line arranged to feed the controllable water outlet with heated water from the appliance, and at least one sensor to sense a property or state of the water supply line, and a processor coupled to the at least one sensor; the processor being configured to detect a sequence of changes in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet; correlate the sequence of changes with a stored pattern; detect a match above a stored threshold; interpret the match as a command; and take an action in accordance with the command.