What is thermal energy storage for space cooling?

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) for space cooling, also known as cool storage, chill storage, or cool thermal storage, is a cost saving technique for allowing energy-intensive, electrically driven cooling equipment to be predominantly operated during off-peak hours when electricity rates are lower.

Does a building air conditioning system work at 100% capacity?

Realistically, no building air conditioning system operates at 100% capacity for the entire daily cooling cycle. Air conditioning loads peak in the afternoon -- generally from 2 to 4 PM -- when ambient temperatures are highest, which put an increased demand for cooling and electricity.

What is a cool storage system?

Cool storage systems are inherently more complicated than non-storage systems and extra time will be required to determine the optimum system for a given application. In conventional air conditioning system design, cooling loads are measured in terms of "Tons of Refrigeration" (or kW’s) required, or more simply "Tons”.

Does cool storage reduce energy consumption?

Cool storage will reduce the average cost of energy consumed and can potentially reduce the energy consumption and initial capital cost of a cooling system compared to a conventional cooling system without cool storage.

What is a sensible heat storage system?

These systems use the sensible heat capacity of water (1 Btu per pound per degree Fahrenheit) to store cooling. Sensible heat storage effectiveness depends on the specific heat of the material and, if volume is important, on the density of the storage material.

Why is a cool storage system so expensive?

The cooling load is too small to justify the expense of a storage system. Typically, a peak load of 100 tons or more has been necessary for cool storage to be feasible. The design team lacks experience or funding to conduct a thorough design process.