The Benefits of Thermal Energy Storage for Cooling Commercial Buildings

Thermal Energy Storage, sometimes referred to as Cool Storage, involves the production and storage of cooling capacity during off-peak hours to meet the following day´s air conditioning requirements. The most common storage media are ice and chilled water. This article addresses the potential benefits of this technology both to utilities and to their customers. Utilities can expect increased off-peak sales and slower growth of peak demand from widespread use of thermal storage. The results of a project to monitor a bank office with ice storage air conditioning are presented to demonstrate these benefits.