Think of all the applications of low temperature in homes and businesses: it is used for product refrigeration, air conditioning and industrial process cooling, just to name a few examples. When companies make ample use of low temperatures, and there is no reason for them to store energy in batteries if they can deploy cold storage instead. Low-temperature storage is an excellent complement for solar power, because it allows companies who own solar PV systems to maximize the return on their investment. Normally, companies face several energy management challenges: 1. They have access to lower electric rates when grid demand is low, but this typically happens during nighttime when most businesses are closed. 2. They pay higher energy rates when demand on the power grid is high, but this is normally during daytime when they need the most energy. 3. On top of that, they are charged a maximum demand fee which is not normally applied for residential customers. Basically, utility companies measure the highest power consumption peak in a month and apply a very high rate to it, which is based on the instantaneous demand in kilowatts rather than being based on kilowatt-hours consumed. In other words, if companies can come up with a method to shift their loads away from peak demand hours, and cover it up with free energy from solar power or low-cost energy during nighttime, they can save a lot of money. Low-temperature storage is a perfect solution for this:
When energy is at its highest price of the day, the company should ideally run mostly on cold storage, using refrigeration equipment only if they have no other choice. This effectively allows companies to deploy solar power and cooling systems together, in order to shift their load away from hours when energy is more expensive, as well as to minimize monthly peak demand charges. Let's discuss an example of commercial application of it: The combination of solar power and cold storage has already been deployed successfully for commercial refrigeration by Cold Viking Solutions, who have developed a technology called Thermal Energy Storage Cells (TESCs). This technology uses a compound developed by NASA, which comprises hydrated salts and can absorb considerable amounts of thermal energy through a phase change. When combined with an energy supply from solar power, these TESCs offer considerable benefits for companies who make ample use of refrigeration: - Although the total energy used is the same, the expected cash savings can range from 25 to 35 percent. - Up to 90 percent of peak demand can be shifted away from its normal hours, allowing further reduction of the electric utility bill. - Since there is no longer a peak in demand, refrigeration equipment can be sized smaller. This represents considerable upfront savings in new facilities or in expansions to existing ones. With a technology such as this one, there is no need for companies with a lot of cooling needs to install large and expensive battery banks for energy storage. Cold storage is more affordable and directly useful for them, so it makes a lot more sense from the business standpoint. Article is posted by XsunX -Commercial and Residential Solar Solution.
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August 2017
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