All boilers that burn hydrocarbon fuels (gas, oil or wood) produce water vapor as a byproduct of combustion.

A commonality among all renewable energy heat sources is that they perform best when coupled to low-temperature hydronic distribution systems. 

The geothermal heat pump market is headed for another strong year in 2019. The 30% uncapped federal income tax credit on EnergyStar-rated geothermal heat pumps remains in full effect.

We are proud to present the third of five eBooks specifically for the hydronics and radiant heating/cooling market. Brought to you by Plumbing & Mechanical, PM Engineer and Supply House Times, this eBook is a collection of columns and articles from John Siegenthaler, P.E., a well-respected hydronics expert and longtime columnist for PM, pme and Supply House Times.

Over the last few months, I’ve had several inquiries from people eager to get into the hydronics industry.

Many renewable energy systems have thermal storage tanks that bridge the gap between when energy is available from the heating source, and when that energy is needed by a heating load.

Last month, we began with a concept for an “ideal” thermal storage tank. This tank was then shown in both a classic four-pipe configuration, as well as a newer configuration called two-pipe.  This month, we’ll look at a morphing of these two piping methods to create a three-pipe configuration. We’ll also look at options for connecting multiple thermal storage tanks together.

Thermal storage is an integral part of most hydronic systems that have renewable energy heat sources. Systems with solar thermal collectors or biomass boilers are prime examples.

Last month, we covered the concept of combining heat pumps with hydronic distribution systems. We also discussed the specifics of an air-to-water heat pump supplying multiple zones of radiant panel heating.

With nearly all government-related energy programs focused on carbon reduction, fossil fuels are increasingly viewed as the past, somewhat resentfully as the present and highly unlikely as the future.