Ice for energy storage - pics and some facts culled from the Internet
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More stuff on the Ice Bear 50 - something we're thinking about here at home.
Ice Energy's Ice Bear 50 integrates with a standard 5-ton air-conditioning compressor/condenser unit, which operates at night to freeze 500 gallons of tap water in the Ice Bear storage module. During the day a 100-watt motor pumps refrigerant through coils in the Ice Bear and then to a standard evaporator coil and blower. The cooled refrigerant in the evaporator coil then cools the building's air. According to the manufacturer, the Ice Bear 50 simply intersects the connection between the condensing unit and the evaporator coil. While it is freezing water, the condenser unit does not cycle on and off but operates continuously, increasing the system's efficiency.
Although there are many high-efficiency residential air conditioning systems available, thermal energy storage has the advantage of using primarily off-peak energy. Ice Energy claims that its system can reduce a building's peak-hour electrical demand by up to 90 percent. An Ice Bear 50 unit can range in price between $4,000 and $18,000 depending on the size of the air conditioner, the application, and installation costs, says Randy Zwetzig, Ice Energy's vice president. It can be installed by any licensed HVAC contractor.
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