Icebank offpeak cooling systems

I learned this week that many new industrial buildings and large facilities such as schools are going to this type of system.

http://www.calmac.com/movie/default.asp

Such systems have been installed in locations where the power company rates afford cost-efficient ice generation during off-peak periods. There have also been at least some demonstration projects built that generate large quanties of ice off-peak that are used to coll gas turbine inlet air in order to increase power output during the hot, on-peak, part of the day.

The Ballpark here and many Downtown Buildings use this system.

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http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/11/20080711northwind0711.html

They have been around forever, but thanks…

I did some work at a large house years ago, they had a loading dock where ice was delivered in the old days where a huge fan blew air across the ice into ducts leading into the house. I was told it was the first A/C system ever installed in that city.

Anyone got any #'s on actual energy savings or is this just load shifting for off-peak power rates.

It is load shifting Brian, which here would save a lo of money. Energy is cheaper at night here by a measurable amount. :smiley:

Big industry is billed by a single power spike, regardless of how long it occurs or when it happens.

They are billed according to this spike in peak demand.
If they keep the load down their rates stay down.
Rates are lower at night but more important, there is generally a lower demand for power at night when production/operation is lower at the plant. They use up as much power at night to equal the daytime load by building ice at night, and they will subsequently lower daytime loads in the process…

I know about the peak demand billing scheme.

Are there any energy savings from, for example, smaller compressors or any other items that might save energy or is the same amount of energy required but just at lower costs?

You can in theory use a smaller system using an Ice Bank.

http://www.calmac.com/benefits/

“in theory”…Like the LEED system, it’s what happens in practice that counts!!

Portable AC
http://www.swampy.net/M300FDCM.jpg:slight_smile:

They should always properly size.

But you still must spent about 750 watts per hp.

Yup!!! It’s actually ** 745.699872 watts per HP.:mrgreen::twisted::shock:;-)**

Here the Northwinds system is pretty amazing to Cool down the Baseball Stadium, and all of the other buildings it is tied into downtown. :smiley:

For industrials the savings are due to a) the difference between on-peak and off-peak rates and b) the ability to shift load to the more cost-effective periods. For process industries that run 24/7, an increase in the size of some equipment may be required in order to overproduce during the off-peak times so they can under-produce at other times yet still maintain maximum output overall. As you can imagine, the economics of doing all that can be pretty complicated. Most industrial power contracts are based on 30 or 60 minute power demands, so short-term peaks generally don’t have a major impact. However, I have also seen some contracts that billed the industry for their average demend set during the peak load period(s) for the utility.

I get crap whenever I get to the eighth digit, I thought I’d try to keep it simple, but NO!!! :wink: