PLMA: Load Management Dialogues

2019-09-12 Viking Cold Solutions for Using Thermal Energy Storage as a Grid Asset

September 12, 2019 PLMA, Collin Coker, Viking Cold, Michael Smith, National Grid
PLMA: Load Management Dialogues
2019-09-12 Viking Cold Solutions for Using Thermal Energy Storage as a Grid Asset
Show Notes

Gain key insights from a 16th PLMA Award-winning initiative for Technology Pioneer.

Commercial & industrial freezers (10,000 to 200,000+ square feet) in the food and beverage, foodservice, grocery, and cold storage industries require massive amounts of electricity to keep frozen food product temperatures stable between 0 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit. These facilities maintain the highest demand per cubic foot of any industrial category and globally spend over $40 billion on energy every year.

Viking Cold Solutions uses thermal energy storage systems (TES) to utilize frozen food facilities in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Australia as grid assets that enable operators to shed 300-500 kW for up to 13 hours each day. TES systems leverage the facility’s existing refrigeration system to store energy in the form of cold and discharge that energy over long periods of time when it is most economical for the grid and the facility operator. These systems have no mechanical components and use phase change material, to absorb up to 85% of the heat infiltration while refrigeration is cycled off, and intelligent controls to balance temperature requirements and energy use. With a levelized cost of energy of less than 2¢ per kWh, many power providers have added TES technology into their efficiency and demand management programs to improve efficiency an average of 26%, help address the variability of renewables, and unlock large-scale demand management opportunities for a fraction of the cost of other storage mediums.