Auxiliary system for a low-temperature remote thermal energy distribution network (anergy network) connected to user thermal installations, comprising one or more heat pumps thermally coupled to the anergy network via a heat exchanger, one or more air-liquid heat exchangers thermally coupled to the outside air, and a hydraulic network interconnecting the heat pumps to the heat exchanger of the anergy network, at least one of the heat pumps being a liquid-air heat pump fluidically connected by the hydraulic network to at least one of said air-liquid heat exchangers. The auxiliary system further comprises a measurement, control and regulation (MCR) system. The hydraulic network comprises valves controlled by the MCR system and a hydraulic circuit configured to allow direct connection of said air-liquid heat exchangers to the heat exchanger of the anergy network.

An air conditioning system includes: a heat source unit; an indoor unit; a water circuit configured by connecting a supply pipe and a return pipe; a flow rate adjusting valve provided in the water circuit; a supply air temperature control unit configured to adjust a flow rate of the flow rate adjusting valve; a pump provided in the water circuit; a pump controller configured to control a rotation speed of the pump; a return water temperature sensor; a supply water temperature sensor; a supply water temperature control unit; and a target supply water temperature updating unit configured to change a target supply water temperature to which a supply water temperature detected by the supply water temperature sensor is to reach based on a temperature difference between a return water temperature detected by the return water temperature sensor and the supply water temperature.

The present invention provides a method of operating a gas heater for water including the steps of: restricting a water flow to the gas heater; determining a first rate of a first gas heating for the restricted water flow; adjusting the gas heating to the restricted water flow; repeating the previous steps until a heated water has a temperature above a temperature threshold; removing the restriction to the water flow to increase the water flow; and determining a second rate of a second gas heating for the increased water flow. The present invention also provides a gas water heater which utilises such a method.

A district energy distributing system comprising a geothermal power plant comprising a first and a second circuit. The first circuit comprises a feed conduit for an incoming flow of geothermally heated water from a geothermal heat source; a boiler comprising a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat from the incoming flow of geothermally heated water to superheat a working medium of a second circuit of the geothermal power plant; and a return conduit for a return flow of cooled water from the boiler to the geothermal heat source. The second circuit comprises the boiler configured to superheat the working medium of the second circuit; an expander configured to allow the superheated working medium to expand and to transform the expansion to mechanical work; and a condenser configured to transform the expanded working medium to liquid phase and to heat a heat transfer fluid of a district thermal energy circuit.

A control system controls a fluid distribution system that includes consumer branches arranged in parallel. Each consumer branch includes a consumer element (31) consuming fluid and/or thermal energy, a regulating device (9) receiving a control value regulating a flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through the consumer branch, and a sensor (11) providing a measured value of the consumer branch. The control system includes a saturation calculation module (21) providing a saturation value, for each operational consumer branch, indicative of the saturation degree of the associated consumer branch, and a saturation compensation module (23) receiving the saturation values and altering a reference value. The altered reference value is based on an initial reference value and the saturation values from all consumer branches. The consumer branch regulating device, of each operational consumer branch, is controllable based on the altered reference value and the measured value of the associated consumer branch.

A water heating system can include a first tank-based water heater having a first inlet line and a first outlet line, where the first inlet line provides unheated water to the first tank, and where the first outlet line draws heated water from the first tank. The system can also include a first tankless water heater having a second outlet line, where the second outlet line of the first tankless water heater provides the heated water to a first heated water demand. The system can also include a first valve that controls an amount of the unheated water flowing through the first inlet line to the first tank-based water heater. The system can further include a controller operatively coupled to the first valve, where the controller controls a position of the first valve based on the first heated water demand and a first capacity of the first tankless water heater.

A user interface for a thermostat that controls a radiator valve can include a user input member that is movable from a home position to a set point increase or decrease position to increase or decrease a set point temperature of the thermostat. In some embodiments, a return mechanism returns the user input member to the home position after being released from one of the set point increase and decrease positions. The user interface can include an indicator panel and controller that controls the indicator panel to provide an indication of when the set point temperature of the thermostat is being adjusted. The user interface can also include a lockout controller that prevents further set point temperature adjustments using the user interface when the set point temperature differs from the environmental temperature by a specified amount.

A joint connects to a hot water source, a toilet tank of a toilet, and a hot water outlet. A set of pipes connecting the hot water source and the joint may be referred to herein as “main hot water pipes.” Water exiting the hot water source into the main hot water pipes is above a desired water temperature. As time passes, however, water that rests in the main hot water pipes may fall below the desired water temperature. Rather than wasting all of the cooled water resting in the main hot water pipes in order to use hot water at the hot water outlet, at least a portion of the cooled water may be used to refill the toilet tank. Therefore less cooled water exits the hot water outlet before fresh water reaches the hot water outlet.

The disclosed technology relates to a solar water heating system including a tank configured to store heat transfer fluid, a solar collector in fluid communication with the tank, and a pump system in fluid communication with the tank and the solar collector. The pump system can include a first pump, a second pump, and a valve assembly. The valve assembly can direct the heat transfer fluid from an outlet of the first pump to the solar collector when the first pump is operating and can direct the heat transfer fluid from an outlet of the second pump to the solar collector when the second pump is operating. The first pump and the second pump can transfer the heat transfer fluid from the solar collector back to the tank when the first pump and the second pump are not operating.

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.