Abstract: A method and system of providing hot water efficiently. A cost of heating a volume of water to a predetermined temperature in a first water heater is determined. A cost of transferring a volume of hot water from a second water heater of a network of interconnected water heaters to the first water heater is determined. Upon determining that the cost of transferring the volume of hot water from the second water heater is lower than the cost of heating the volume of water of the first water heater, the second water heater transfers at least part of the volume of hot water to the first water heater. Otherwise, the volume of water is heated to the predetermined temperature in the first water heater.

Abstract: A method and system of providing hot water efficiently. A cost of heating a volume of water to a predetermined temperature in a first water heater is determined. A cost of transferring a volume of hot water from a second water heater of a network of interconnected water heaters to the first water heater is determined. Upon determining that the cost of transferring the volume of hot water from the second water heater is lower than the cost of heating the volume of water of the first water heater, the second water heater transfers at least part of the volume of hot water to the first water heater. Otherwise, the volume of water is heated to the predetermined temperature in the first water heater.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for solving an optimization model by automatically creating alternative formulations, and solving those with parallel solution approaches communicating with each other. The method: automatically generates alternative formulations for a given optimization model; executes parallel communicating solution approaches in a parallel computing infrastructure in order to solve a given set of alternative model formulations; utilizes a mechanism to automatically detect the model structure and a mechanism to automatically detect the appropriate solution approach(es) for a given model structure, and to launch multiple parallel solution approaches at existing optimization solvers. The system and methods enable communication between parallel solution approaches in order to improve performance. The system communicates information between the parallel solution approaches during a solve process, in order to improve performance.