Thermal Energy Storage: Solutions for Demand Management

摘要

Thermal energy storage (TES) has a long history of use in shifting peak air-conditioning and other cooling loads from on-peak to off-peak periods. With a proper understanding and application of modern TES technology, TES offers even greater value to large cooling customers in the restructuring energy markets of today and tomorrow. The various TES technology options are briefly reviewed and their inherent pros and cons are discussed. Numerous examples are presented of TES installations and technology types currently serving large cooling applications. The areas of these applications include private industry, universities and colleges, hospital and medical facilities, other government facilities, and district cooling. TES is also realizing increasing application in the area of power generation, where it is used by utilities and on-site power generators for combustion turbine inlet cooling. Several case histories are reviewed to illustrate and quantify the demand management impact and economic benefits of TES. Emphasis is placed on the potential of certain TES technologies in large applications to not only manage demand and reduce operating cost, but also to reduce capital cost compared to conventional (non-storage) cooling technology. The present and future restructuring energy marketplace is discussed, as it relates to serving cooling loads. The desirable attributes of cooling technologies in general, and of TES specifically, are explored, in order to identify how to maximize value through flexible demand management.