A water heating solar module designed for being connected to a boiler of a water heating system, the module comprises a vessel having a water inlet and a water outlet, a first heating element installed in the vessel, and a power supply for feeding the first heating element with electric power produced from solar energy. The module is arranged as follows: the vessel is positioned near the boiler, so that the vessel's bottom portion is placed not higher than the boiler's bottom portion; the water inlet is provided at the vessel's bottom portion and is adapted for receiving water from the boiler; the water outlet is provided at the vessel's top portion and is adapted for delivering water from the vessel to the boiler; the power supply is electrically connectable to a photoelectric device for receiving electric energy there-from, and to the first heating element, for heating water in the vessel. The invention also describes a system comprising the described module connected to the mentioned boiler, and a method of upgrading an existing water heating solar system by the described module.

Systems and methods for a thermosyphonic water heating system for a storage tank. A DC heat pump receives power from a DC power source and heats water via a heat exchanger using a thermosyphonic piping system. A passive back-flushing having a cold water inlet pipe connected to the hot water return pipe draws cold water into the storage tank through the heat exchanger. A vertical array of temperature sensors distributed throughout the storage tank monitor temperature of stored water at multiple heights and a communication unit communicates monitored data to an external control device.

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 concerns a system for energy and environmental optimisation of a facility comprising at least one combustion apparatus (1) with a burner (3). The system comprises an electrolyser (2) and an injection system (4) connected to at least one fuel (3a) and/or oxidant (3b) inlet of the burner (3). The injection system is capable of injecting, at such an inlet, gases from the electrolyser (2) and/or a mixture of these gases and a combustible fluid and/or an oxidising fluid. The electrolyser (2) and/or the injection system (2) are controlled on the basis of at least one piece of information originating from the combustion apparatus (1) and/or sensors (6x) of the installation. The electrolyser can comprise a heat exchanger (2a) for cooling the device and/or preheating the water (EP) that is intended to then be heated (EC) by the combustion apparatus (1).

An integrated solar thermal system for a building roof is provided. The system utilizes a plurality of fin pipes to collect solar energy as heat, and to transfer this heat to a working fluid conveyed in a parallel flow through the fin pipes. The heated working fluid is then used for productive energy conversion.

A transparent solar heat absorbing apparatus includes a transparent member allowing sunlight to pass through, a wavelength selective member disposed beneath the transparent member, a heating tank formed between the transparent member and the wavelength selective member. The wavelength selective member allows light in a transmission range including at least a visible wavelength range to pass through and reflects light in a reflection range including at least an infrared wavelength range. At least one of the transparent member and the wavelength selective member has a waveform structure on at least one of its upper surface and bottom surface.

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.

Disclosed are methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces. In particular, the invention enables the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems since under certain conditions less energy for heating or cooling is required to maintain, within certain boundaries, desirable temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other enclosed spaces.

In some instances the invention is in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods and algorithms to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal).

In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all, whereas in other instances the expenditure of external energy for conventional heating or cooling is reduced. In some instances the invention enables the reduction of the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

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.

A hydronic panel and system for heating and/or cooling a room is disclosed. The hydronic panel includes a plurality of contiguous channels. A first chamber is located at a first end, preferably the upper end, of the panel and includes an inlet and communicates with a first subset of the channels. A second chamber is located at an opposite end of the panel and communicates with the first subset and also with a second subset of the channels. A third chamber is located at the first end of the panel, the third chamber communicates with the second subset of the channels and includes an outlet. In this configuration, heated or cooled water flows from the inlet into the first chamber, through the first subset of the channels, to the second chamber, through the second subset of the channels, into the third chamber and out the outlet. Consequently, the heated or cooled water can heat or cool the space. In addition to at least one hydronic panel, the system includes a source of heated and/or cooled water under sufficient pressure to cause the water to flow through the panel. The system also includes a controller to control one or both of the temperature of the water and the flow rate of the water through the panel.