A free-standing Energy Recovery System enables sanitary recovery of thermal energy with heat transfer from hot waste effluent to incoming domestic water. The source of the effluent may, for example, be conventional commercial ware-washing, clothes washing equipment, pasteurization and other industrial processes.

A combined hot water and air heating and conditioning system including a first heat exchanger, a heat pump, a chilling tower loop, a burner and a second heat exchanger to provide hot water, air heating and air cooling. The system provides hot water, air heating and cooling all in one single unit. The system utilizes a heat pump to remove heat from ambient air and transfer the rejected heat into a hot water system, thereby using waste heat to heat the hot water system. The system utilizes a heat exchanger not only for the purpose of transferring heat from a heating source to a fluid in the heat exchanger but also for the purpose of dissipating heat from the fluid in the heat exchanger to the surroundings of the heat exchanger, thereby allowing a heat pump to act both as an air heating and conditioning device.

A free-standing Energy Recovery System enables sanitary recovery of thermal energy with heat transfer from hot waste effluent to incoming domestic water. The source of the effluent may, for example, be conventional commercial ware-washing, clothes washing equipment, pasteurization and other industrial processes.

A hot water supply system includes a water supply pipe for supplying cold water, a hot water supply pipe for supplying hot water heated by a hot water supply device, a drain pipe for draining wastewater, a heat exchange device for heating cold water supplied from the water supply pipe using the wastewater, and a flow control mechanism for controlling, when supplying warm water obtained by mixing cold water heated by the heat exchange device and hot water heated by the hot water supply device, the flow rate of the cold water and the flow rate of the hot water so as to maintain the temperature of the warm water. The heat exchange device is a double-pipe, multi-pipe, coil, or spiral heat exchanger.

A fluid heating device includes a housing defining an inner volume. A combustion chamber configured to produce heat via combustion such that heat produced by the combustion chamber is transferred to a fluid in the inner volume, and a flue is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber and in thermal communication with the inner volume. An electrical heating device is configured to provide heat to the fluid in the inner volume, and a thermoelectric generator is in electrical communication with the electrical heating device. The thermoelectric generator is connected to the flue such that a heat difference between the inner volume of the housing and the interior portion of the flue enables the thermoelectric generator to generate electricity.

A fuel-fired appliance with thermoelectric-powered secondary electric heating has a burner providing hot combustion gasses into a first housing. A second housing containing a fluid receives heat from the combustion gasses in the first housing. A thermoelectric device attaches to a surface of the appliance heated by the combustion gasses and generates a voltage. An electric heating element is in thermal communication with the second housing, and the electric heating element is electrically connected to the thermoelectric device.

A hot water supply system includes a water supply pipe for supplying cold water, a hot water supply pipe for supplying hot water heated by a hot water supply device, a drain pipe for draining waste water, a heat exchange device for heating cold water supplied from the water supply pipe using the waste water, and a flow rate control mechanism for controlling, when supplying warm water obtained by mixing cold water heated by the heat exchange device and hot water heated by the hot water supply device, the flow rate of the cold water and the flow rate of the hot water so as to maintain the temperature of the warm water.

A heat exchanger that includes a portion for heat exchange with gray water, a portion for heat exchange with clean water, the heat exchanger being arranged to transfer heat between the gray water heat-exchange portion and the clean water heat-exchange portion during a distribution of water and thereby heat a feedwater to a first temperature, wherein the heat exchanger includes a first heating means arranged to achieve the heating of the feedwater, for heating the feedwater to a second temperature, and wherein the heat exchanger includes a second heating means arranged to keep the clean water heat-exchange portion at a temperature greater than or equal to the first temperature during a period without water distribution.

A free-standing Energy Recovery System enables sanitary recovery of thermal energy with heat transfer from hot waste effluent to incoming domestic water. The source of the effluent may, for example, be conventional commercial ware-washing, clothes washing equipment, pasteurization and other industrial processes.

A combined hot water and air heating and conditioning system including a first heat exchanger, a heat pump, a chilling tower loop, a burner and a second heat exchanger to provide hot water, air heating and air cooling. The system provides hot water, air heating and cooling all in one single unit. The system utilizes a heat pump to remove heat from ambient air and transfer the rejected heat into a hot water system, thereby using waste heat to heat the hot water system. The system utilizes a heat exchanger not only for the purpose of transferring heat from a heating source to a fluid in the heat exchanger but also for the purpose of dissipating heat from the fluid in the heat exchanger to the surroundings of the heat exchanger, thereby allowing a heat pump to act both as an air heating and conditioning device.