Photovoltaics and an MPPT DC/DC converter powers a DC bus of a controller. It uses an electric heat pump to heat a mass like water, and also has a resistive heating element to heat the mass. A microcontroller controls a variable frequency (VFD) motor drive to power the electric heat pump when sufficient solar power is available to run the heat pump and uses the resistive element to heat the thermal mass when insufficient solar power exists for the heat pump or when excess solar power is available. A controller has an MPPT input for solar power and a VFD to provide power through an output to a heat pump-based water heater and an output to power a resistive water heating element. A microcontroller determines solar power available and runs the heat pump when possible and the resistive element when insufficient power is available or when excess power is available.

A hybrid supplemental solar energy collection and dissipation system with one or more heat pumps is featured. The system includes one or more commercially available photovoltaic panels configured to convert incident radiation to electricity. One or more supplemental solar energy collectors having a flow of fluid therein are selectively coupled to the one or more photovoltaic panels. The one or more supplemental solar energy collectors are configured to collect thermal energy from the one or more photovoltaic panels, radiate thermal energy to space, collect thermal energy from the environment and/or dissipate thermal energy to the environment to heat or cool one or more loads. One or more heat pumps are coupled to the one or more supplemental solar energy collectors and the one or more loads and are configured to amplify heating and/or cooling of the one or more loads.

Method of operating a thermal energy system coupled to a building energy system which selectively provides heating and/or cooling to a building, the method comprising the steps of; (a) providing a thermal energy system comprising a heat pump system having an output side and an input side, a heat energy working fluid loop extending into the building, the output side being coupled to a building by the heat energy working fluid loop to provide heating to the building from the thermal energy system, a cooling demand working fluid loop extending into the building, a first geothermal system in which a working fluid is circulated and a second geothermal system in which a working fluid is circulated; (b) selectively thermally connecting the first geothermal system to the input side of the heat pump system, or to the heat energy working fluid loop to provide heating to the building; and (c) selectively thermally connecting the second geothermal system to the input side of the heat pump system, or to the cooling demand working fluid loop to provide cooling to the building.

A heating system of a building includes: a solar heater configured to receive sunlight and to at least one of absorb heat into a refrigerant and augment heat absorbed into the refrigerant; a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant that vaporized via absorption of heat; a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the refrigerant to water; an expansion valve configured to reduce at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant after the transfer of heat from the refrigerant to water; a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from water output from the first heat exchanger to air passing the second heat exchanger before flowing into the building; a pump configured to pump the water from the solar heater to the second heat exchanger; and a blower configured to blow air past the second heat exchanger and into the building.

An aspect of some embodiments of the current invention relates to an integrated system for heat distribution among a plurality of users. In some embodiments, the system includes a separate automatic control of heat distribution to each user and/or separate billing to each user. For example, a system may supply hot fluid to a plurality of apartments in a building and/or in multiple buildings. Optionally, each apartment has separate remote controlled valves controlling flow of heated fluid to the apartment and/or a sensor sensing how much heat enters and leaves the apartment in the hot fluid. In some embodiments, a processor controls the valve and/or receives data from sensors. The processor optionally controls devices that generate and/or store and/or dissipate heat. Optionally the processor predicts energy availability, costs and needs controls valves and/or devices to provide for predicted and/or unexpected needs while reduce cost of the energy.

Photovoltaics and an MPPT DC/DC converter powers a DC bus of a controller. It uses an electric heat pump to heat a mass like water, and also has a resistive heating element to heat the mass. A microcontroller controls a variable frequency (VFD) motor drive to power the electric heat pump when sufficient solar power is available to run the heat pump and uses the resistive element to heat the thermal mass when insufficient solar power exists for the heat pump or when excess solar power is available. A controller has an MPPT input for solar power and a VFD to provide power through an output to a heat pump-based water heater and an output to power a resistive water heating element. A microcontroller determines solar power available and runs the heat pump when possible and the resistive element when insufficient power is available or when excess power is available.

A thermal energy system adapted to be coupled to a building energy system which selectively provides heating and/or cooling to a building, the thermal energy system comprising a heat pump system having an output for a working fluid connected to a heating output of the thermal energy system, a first geothermal system in which a working fluid is, in use, circulated, a first switch assembly selectively connecting the first geothermal system to at least one of the heating output of the thermal energy system and an input for a working fluid of the heat pump system, a second geothermal system in which a working fluid is, in use, circulated, and a second switch assembly selectively connecting the second geothermal system to at least one of a cooling output of the thermal energy system and the input of the heat pump system.

Water-source heat pump systems include a solar heater to supplement heating operations and a radiative cooler such as one or more radiative cooling panels to allow the system to reject heat. The system can be controlled based on a target temperature, a current temperature, and temperatures at one or both of the solar heater and/or the radiative cooler, selecting a mechanical cooling mode, a hybrid cooling mode, a free cooling mode, a hybrid heating mode, or a free heating mode based on the temperatures.

Thermal energy system, coupled to a building energy system, which selectively provides heating and/or cooling to a building. The thermal energy system includes a heat pump system, first and second geothermal systems, and first and second switch assemblies, and the first and second switch assemblies are selectively switchable to thermally interconnect the first and second geothermal systems to each other on a primary input side of the heat pump system or on a second output side of the heat pump system, and: a) the first and second switch assemblies are adapted to be switchable to provide a first operation mode which thermally connects the first geothermal system to the heating output and the second geothermal system to the cooling output, and the heat pump system being thermally unconnected to the first and second geothermal systems; or b) the first and second switch assemblies are adapted to be switchable to provide a first operation mode which thermally connects together the first and second geothermal systems via the heat pump system, and the heating output and cooling output being thermally unconnected to the first and second geothermal systems.

An aspect of some embodiments of the current invention relates to an integrated system for heat distribution among a plurality of users. In some embodiments, the system includes a separate automatic control of heat distribution to each user and/or separate billing to each user. For example, a system may supply hot fluid to a plurality of apartments in a building and/or in multiple buildings. Optionally, each apartment has separate remote controlled valves controlling flow of heated fluid to the apartment and/or a sensor sensing how much heat enters and leaves the apartment in the hot fluid. In some embodiments, a processor controls the valve and/or receives data from sensors. The processor optionally controls devices that generate and/or store and/or dissipate heat. Optionally the processor predicts energy availability, costs and needs controls valves and/or devices to provide for predicted and/or unexpected needs while reduce cost of the energy.