Thermal energy storage for electricity peak-demand mitigation: a solution in developing and developed world alike

摘要

In much of the developed world, air-conditioning in buildingsis the dominant driver of summer peak electricity demand. Inthe developing world a steadily increasing utilization of airconditioningplaces additional strain on already-congestedgrids. This common thread represents a large and growingthreat to the reliable delivery of electricity around the world,requiring capital-intensive expansion of capacity and drainingavailable investment resources. Thermal energy storage(TES), in the form of ice or chilled water, may be one of thefew technologies currently capable of mitigating this problemcost effectively and at scale. The installation of TES capacityallows a building to meet its on-peak air conditioning loadwithout interruption using electricity purchased off-peakand operating with improved thermodynamic efficiency. Inthis way, TES has the potential to fundamentally alter consumptiondynamics and reduce impacts of air conditioning.This investigation presents a simulation study of a large officebuilding in four distinct geographical contexts: Miami,Lisbon, Shanghai, and Mumbai. The optimization tool DERCAM(Distributed Energy Resources Customer AdoptionModel) is applied to optimally size TES systems for eachlocation. Summer load profiles are investigated to assess theeffectiveness and consistency in reducing peak electricity demand.Additionally, annual energy requirements are used todetermine system cost feasibility, payback periods and customersavings under local utility tariffs.