"Every night some 74,000 gallons (280,000 liters) of water are frozen at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The hospital used to get all of its air conditioning from a conventional system found in most U.S. buildings, but now 27 tanks of ice sustain a network of cold-water pipes keeping operating rooms at safe temperatures and patients comfortable. This type of thermal energy storage, also known as ice batteries, is being added to buildings in the U.S. for its ability to provide cool air without releasing planet-warming emissions."
"Trane Technologies, a company that makes heating and cooling equipment, says it has seen a growing demand for this technology over the past few years. Its ice batteries are mostly used in schools as well as commercial and government buildings. Nostromo Energy, another company that makes ice batteries, is pursuing customers among energy-intensive data centers that have high cooling demands. Smaller systems are also made for homes by companies such as Ice Energy."
"Ice thermal energy storage technology varies between manufacturers, but each follows a similar concept: At night, when electricity from the grid is at its cheapest, water is frozen into ice that thaws the next day to cool the building. The ice chills water that is circulating through pipes in the building, absorbing heat from the rooms and creating a cooling effect. Air cooled by the system is then pushed through vents."
Every night some 74,000 gallons of water are frozen at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky to supply cooling. The frozen water is stored in 27 tanks that sustain a network of cold-water pipes to keep operating rooms safe and patients comfortable. Ice thermal energy storage, or ice batteries, freezes water at night when electricity is cheapest and thaws during the day to chill circulating water that cools building spaces. These systems lower electricity use, reduce peak-grid strain, and avoid planet-warming emissions from conventional air conditioning. Manufacturers target hospitals, schools, commercial buildings, data centers, and homes.
Read at Fast Company
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