Cool Storage Performance

Utilities have promoted the use of electric heat and thermal storage to increase off peak usage of power. High daytime demand charges and enticing discounts for off peak power have been used as economic incentives to promote thermal storage systems. This article covers three thermal storage topics. The first section catalogs various thermal storage systems and applications. Included are: load shifting and load leveling, chilled water storage systems, and ice storage systems using Refrigerant 22 or ethylene glycol. The second section discusses the result of system simulation computer studies (TRACE) that show the energy efficiencies of various cool storage methods. Results are shown as energy cost in dollars per square foot. The last section addresses the need for advanced energy management control systems for use with cool storage systems and studies the success of such a system at a corporate engineering building for The Trane Company in La Crosse, Wisconsin