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.

The educational event runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 22 at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont.

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.

Congratulations to those products on this year’s list. These are based on the number of pageviews on pmengineer.com.

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.

Bosch’s Inverter ducted split air-sourced heat pump will ensure indoor air remains at the selected temperature, but at a lower cost than a traditional HVAC system, the company notes.

Modifying high-temperature distribution systems for lower-temperature operation.

Modifying high-temperature distribution systems for lower temperature operation.