In a control device, an instruction acquirer acquires an instruction to suppress in a specified period supplying of generated power generated by power generator installed in a power-consuming area to a commercial electrical power system. Upon the instruction acquirer acquiring the instruction, a water heater controller commands a water heater installed in the power-consuming area to perform a water heat-up operation when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the specified period.

In a control device, an instruction acquirer acquires an instruction to suppress in a specified period supplying of generated power generated by power generator installed in a power-consuming area to a commercial electrical power system. Upon the instruction acquirer acquiring the instruction, a water heater controller commands a water heater installed in the power-consuming area to perform a water heat-up operation when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the specified period.

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.

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.

In a control device, an instruction acquirer acquires an instruction to suppress in a specified period supplying of generated power generated by power generator installed in a power-consuming area to a commercial electrical power system. Upon the instruction acquirer acquiring the instruction, a water heater controller commands a water heater installed in the power-consuming area to perform a water heat-up operation when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the specified period.

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.

An installation includes an in-building hot water supply system, a hot water heat pump, an energy storage arrangement containing a mass of phase change material and a heat exchanger coupled between the hot water system and the heat pump, and a processor to provide a signal to the heat pump based on the opening of an outlet of the hot water supply system. The mass of phase change material has enough latent heat capacity to heat to a predetermined temperature a predetermined quantity of water in the interval from the opening of an outlet of the hot water supply system until at least the heat pump begins to heat water in the hot water supply system. Also provided is a method of controlling a heat pump in such an installation.