What is a cool storage system?

Cool storage systems are inherently more complicated than non-storage systems and extra time will be required to determine the optimum system for a given application. In conventional air conditioning system design, cooling loads are measured in terms of "Tons of Refrigeration" (or kW’s) required, or more simply "Tons”.

How does thermal energy storage work?

(Hover over the graphic below to see how thermal energy storage works.) During night time, off-peak hours, water that contains 25% ethylene or propylene glycol is cooled by a chiller. That solution circulates inside the heat exchanger within the IceBank tank, freezing 95% of the water that surrounds the heat exchanger inside the tank.

What is the difference between heat absorbing capacity and thermal energy storage?

The difference lies in the heat absorbing capacity. Thermal energy storage (TES) is a method by which cooling is produced and stored at one time period for use during a different time period. Air conditioning of buildings during summer daytime hours is the single largest contributor to electrical peak demand.

Does cool storage reduce energy consumption?

Cool storage will reduce the average cost of energy consumed and can potentially reduce the energy consumption and initial capital cost of a cooling system compared to a conventional cooling system without cool storage.

What if air conditioning load was shifted to off-peak hours?

If the air conditioning load could be shifted to the off-peak hours or leveled to the average load, less chiller capacity would be needed, 100 percent diversity would be achieved, and better-cost efficiency would result. The lower the Diversity Factor, the greater the potential benefit from a TES system. Consider for instance an example of a hotel.

What is thermal energy storage for space cooling?

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) for space cooling, also known as cool storage, chill storage, or cool thermal storage, is a cost saving technique for allowing energy-intensive, electrically driven cooling equipment to be predominantly operated during off-peak hours when electricity rates are lower.