Ice banks store thermal energy in the form of ice, which can later be used for cooling buildings or processes.
This technology allows the production of ice during off-peak hours, when energy costs are lower and the electrical grid is under less demand. The stored ice is then used to meet cooling needs during peak hours.
Ice bank systems typically include an ice storage system and a refrigeration package to generate the ice.
KGM Refrigeration can provide ice bank systems that store ice as conventional solid block ice, or slurry ice systems which provide much more rapid and consistent discharge rates.
Thermal ice storage offers several advantages over traditional cooling systems:
- Lowering the overall energy consumption rate by shifting cooling demands to off-peak hours when energy demand is lower and the energy supply is often greener.
- More consistent cooling, as the ice helps buffers against load fluctuations in demand or electrical supply.
- Reducing the size and operating costs of the refrigeration system.
We can provide ice bank systems for a variety of applications, including commercial buildings, data centers, and industrial processes. Stored capacities start at 1MWhr with systems up to 10MWHr available. The charging rate can be from 100kW to 500kW.