INTEGRATED ENERGY SYSTEM FOR WHOLE HOME OR BUILDING
An integrated energy system for a home or other building utilizes a heated reservoir for energy storage. The reservoir is mainly heated by one or more solar collectors. The system also includes an environment-coupled piping loop through which a cooling fluid is circulated such that heat is exhausted from the cooling fluid to the environment. The thermal energy from the reservoir and the cooling fluid are then used in an integrated set of systems that provide space heating, space cooling, and electrical generation. Electricity is generated by a thermoelectric generator that exploits the temperature differential between the reservoir and the cooling fluid. The system may include heating and storage for domestic hot water, and may use excess power for hydrogen production. Backup heating and electrical systems may be provided for.
1 . An integrated energy system for a building, the system comprising:
at least one reservoir of thermal energy;
at least one solar collector that provides heat to the reservoir;
at least one environment-coupled piping loop through which a cooling fluid is circulated such that heat is exhausted from the cooling fluid to the environment;
a thermoelectric generator that generates electric power from a temperature differential between the reservoir of thermal energy and the cooling fluid; and
at least one hydronic heating unit through which heated fluid is piped, providing space heating to at least one space in the building, the heated fluid deriving its heat from the reservoir of thermal energy.
2 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising at least one hydronic cooling loop through which at least some of the cooling fluid is piped, providing space cooling to at least one space in the building.
3 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising:
a backup heater that provides heat to the reservoir of thermal energy, supplementing the solar collector.
4 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 3 , wherein the backup heater derives heat from a fossil fuel.
5 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising a tank of hot water designated for domestic hot water use.
6 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising a backup domestic water heater that supplies heat to hot water designated for domestic hot water use when insufficient energy is otherwise available.
7 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 6 , wherein the backup domestic water heater comprises at least one on-demand heater.
8 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 6 , wherein the backup domestic water heater derives heat from a fossil fuel.
9 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising a direct-current power grid within the building.
10 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising an inverter that converts direct-current power from the thermoelectric generator to alternating-current power.
11 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric generator comprises a plurality of banks, the integrated energy system further comprising:
a thermoelectric generator controller; and
a matrix switch that, under control of the thermoelectric generator controller, configures the interconnection of the banks.
12 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising a load controller that at least temporarily prevents the operation of at least one load based in part on the amount of electrical power being consumed by other loads.
13 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising a load controller that constrains at least one appliance to operate only during certain predetermined time intervals.
14 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising a backup connection to the mains power grid, the backup connection providing electrical power to the building to supplement the thermoelectric generator.
15 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , further comprising a hydrogen generator powered by electricity from the thermoelectric generator.
16 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 15 , further comprising a backup domestic water heater, and wherein the backup domestic water heater derives heat from hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generator.
17 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir of thermal energy comprises a tank of heated water.
18 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , wherein a medium in the reservoir of thermal energy is heated directly by the solar collector.
19 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , wherein a medium in the reservoir of thermal energy is heated though a heat exchanger carrying a second medium heated by the solar collector.
20 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , wherein the heated fluid circulated through the at least one hydronic heating unit derives its heat from the reservoir of thermal energy through a heat exchanger.
21 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , wherein the at least one environment-coupled piping loop comprises a deep earth-coupled piping loop.
22 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , wherein the at least one environment-coupled piping loop comprises a shallow earth-coupled piping loop.
23 . The integrated energy system for a building of claim 1 , wherein the at least one environment-coupled piping loop comprises an air-coupled piping loop.
24 . A method of operating an energy system in a building, the method comprising:
heating a reservoir of thermal energy using a solar collector;
circulating heated fluid through a hydronic heating loop, providing space heating to at least one space in the building, the heated fluid deriving its heat from the reservoir of thermal energy;
circulating a cooling fluid through an environment-coupled piping loop such that heat is exhausted from the cooling fluid to the environment; and
generating electrical power in a thermoelectric generator subjected to a temperature differential between reservoir and the cooling fluid.
25 . The method of operating an energy system in a building of claim 24 , further comprising:
circulating at least some of the cooling fluid through a hydronic cooling loop, providing space cooling to at least one space in the building.
26 . The method of operating an energy system in a building of claim 24 , further comprising:
generating hydrogen using electrical energy generated by the thermoelectric generator.
27 . The method of operating an energy system in a building of claim 24 , further comprising:
storing, separately from the reservoir of thermal energy, water designated for domestic hot water use.
28 . The method of operating an energy system in a building of claim 27 , further comprising heating the water designated for domestic hot water use with heat from the reservoir of thermal energy.
29 . The method of operating an energy system in a building of claim 24 , further comprising dynamically configuring, using a thermoelectric generator controller, interconnections of thermoelectric modules within the thermoelectric generator.
30 . The method of operating an energy system in a building of claim 24 , further comprising temporarily preventing the operation of at least one electrical load based in part on the amount of electrical power being consumed by other loads.
31 . The method of operating an energy system of claim 24 , wherein circulating the cooling fluid through an environment-coupled piping loop comprises circulating the cooling fluid through an earth-coupled piping loop.