A method of processing electrical data and signals which comprises locating a site with a geothermal hot water resource which feeds hot water to an on-site heat engine that drives an on-site electricity generator which provides electrical power to an array of microprocessors, located in an enclosure structure, that processes data transmitted from a remote location at high speeds. The processed data is transmitted back to the remote locations at high speeds.

Thermal energy systems for managing, distribution and recovery of thermal energy. A single-pipe loop circulating a two-phase refrigerant is provided. The single-pipe loop is spread through the entire system and interconnects a plurality of local heat exchange stations, each having different thermal energy loads. A central circulation mechanism (CCM) is also provided for circulating the refrigerant for distribution of thermal energy within the system.

An HVAC controller controlled in response to a natural language audio message that is not recognizable by the HVAC controller as a command, where the natural language audio message is translated into a command recognizable by the HVAC controller. The HVAC controller may be a thermostat and may include a housing that at least partially houses a control module, a microphone, a speaker, a display, and a voice recognition module. The voice recognition module recognizes a predetermined audible trigger from a recorded voice message or streamed voice message, and in response, provide one or more audio clips via the speaker and/or video clips via the display to assist users in operating the thermostat. A user may communicate with the thermostat via the thermostat and/or a remote device.

An exemplary heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a building includes a primary heat pump system having a primary heat pump system size, a secondary heat pump system having a secondary heat pump system size less than the primary heat pump system size, a thermal energy storage system, and a control system operable to control operation of the primary heat pump system and the secondary heat pump system. The control system may limit operation of the secondary heat pump system to a first time period, and operates the primary heat pump system according to demand of the building.

An industrial installation having a primary supply circuit in which cooling water is conveyed and a consumer to which cooling water from the primary supply circuit is provided and which is connected to the primary supply circuit via a secondary supply circuit. An outward flow line of the secondary supply circuit is connected to an outward flow line of the primary supply circuit, and a return flow line of the secondary supply circuit is connected to a return flow line of the primary supply circuit. The outward flow line of the primary supply circuit is connected to a groundwater delivery line of a spring installation which has a groundwater delivery line through which groundwater can be conveyed from an aquifer and can be fed as cooling water into the outward flow line of the primary supply circuit. Also provided is a method for operating an industrial installation wherein the cooling water that is used is naturally occurring groundwater which is obtained from an aquifer with the aid of a spring installation.

A concentric pipe geothermal heat exchanger well head is described. The well head may include a riser pipe having an outer pipe and an inner core pipe, wherein an inner heat exchanger pipe is coupled to the inner core pipe, a reducer coupled to an outer heat exchanger pipe on one side and coupled to the outer pipe on a second opposite side to conduct fluid between the outer heat exchanger pipe and the outer pipe, a flow pipe parallel to and biaxial with the riser pipe configured to be coupled to a geothermal heat pump, and an elbow coupled to the outer pipe to couple fluid between the outer pipe and the well head pipe.

A heat transfer system includes a conduit having open first and second ends, first and second thermal exchange segments disposed in-between and in fluid communication with the ends, and a means for adding fluid to the first end. The first thermal exchange segment is disposed underneath and in thermal communication with the ground, a body of water, or other location with a different temperature. The first and second ends are arranged above all other section of conduit and relative to one another so that they are communicating vessels and a change in fluid level in one changes the fluid level in the other. The means for adding fluid to the first end of the conduit causes fluid to flow freely from the first end to the second end and fluid level to rise in the second overcoming any hydrostatic pressure in the system without a pump disposed along the conduit.

A device for energy transfer and for energy storage in a liquid reservoir has a water heat exchanger arranged on a bottom and has an air heat exchanger arranged above the water heat exchanger, wherein the water heat exchanger is arranged in a liquid reservoir that is surrounded by an inner shell which delimits the device with respect to an outer shell covering the inner shell from the bottom, wherein the outer shell is at least partially inserted into an earth layer, and the device is closed upwardly by a lid in such a way as to make it possible to generate a flow of air from an air inlet to an air outlet of the air heat exchanger.

A heat transfer medium liquid circulation flow channel having a first heat exchange unit exchanging heat to a second heat exchange unit is provided, and a fixed amount of first heat transfer medium liquid circulates therein. A feed pipe couples heat source holding second heat transfer medium liquid having temperature difference from the first medium liquid to the heat transfer medium liquid circulation flow channel. The feed pipe is coupled to an inlet end side of the first heat exchange unit and a discharge pipe is coupled to an outlet end side thereof. A necessary amount of second medium liquid is supplied to the inlet end side via the feed pipe so that a detected temperature of the first medium liquid in the outlet end maintains required set temperature. The same amount of the first medium liquid as the supplied second medium liquid is discharged out of the discharge pipe.

Trench-confirmable geothermal reservoirs with flexible reservoir bodies that can snugly abut trench walls (that may be of virgin, compacted earth) for facilitating heat exchange and flow liquid from one lower end to an opposing top end, and vice versa, depending on desired heat exchange. The direction can be reversed for summer and winter heat/cooling configurations. A series of the reservoirs may be used for appropriate heat transfer. The water volume of the reservoirs is relatively large and slow moving for good earth heat conduction. The reservoirs include first and second ports, one of which has an elongate internal tube that has a bottom that resides adjacent a bottom of the reservoir body and a series of apertures on only a lower portion of the internal tube to intake or output liquid depending on flow direction.