In the past century, refrigeration has become one of the most developed and relied-on technologies in our society. It is the reason we can enjoy seafood from Japan and feel safe eating beef that has been on the shelf for weeks.
Now, this technology has received an update in the form of a new method of combining rooftop solar photovoltaic cells with thermal energy storage. This new energy-storing alternative will make solar power more accessible to industries that need to constantly refrigerate tons of products, such as supermarkets and utilities.
Tackling Cost by Reducing Peak Energy Demand
Solar energy is one of the most reliable, inexpensive and environmentally friendly technologies. Unfortunately, there is no engineering feat that can stop the world from turning, which is why one of the greatest challenges with solar energy is reducing renewable variability, or storing solar power to reduce peak energy demands during the day and provide consistent electricity throughout the night.
According to the system’s maker, Viking Cold Solutions, the combined solar-plus-cold-storage system provides a quicker return on investment than the typical battery. Its ability to balance the grid and reduce the peak energy demands can also reportedly improve the efficiency of energy by up to 34 percent.
Meeting an International Demand for Sustainability
The announcement of this new energy-efficient system has come around the same time that California has passed strong renewable energy storage requirements. Europe has also recently set a goal to ensure that 20 percent of its energy comes from renewable sources.
Cold Viking Solutions specializes in providing Thermal Energy Storage Cells (TSCs), which use NASA-developed phase-changing material to absorb infiltrated heat so that products remain at their target temperatures.
These TSCs can store 100 times more thermal energy in latent mode than a one-degree sensible heat change in stored product. Their design allows them to be simply placed above the products within the refrigeration unit within the air stream of evaporator fans that run at the top.Thermal energy storage cells are placed above the refrigerated products, encouraging a natural air convection system. (Image courtesy of the Energy Storage Report.)
The strategic placement of TSCs causes an air convection current to act on the product inside the facility. The sinking cold air from above becomes warm from the product and rises to the evaporator fans, blowing the warmed air back into the TSCs. The efficiency gains from this system even allows for the refrigeration unit to be turned off periodically, saving enormous costs during peak energy times.
As is, TSC technology lowers refrigeration costs from 25 to 35 percent and has the ability to shift peak demand by 90 percent. Combining this technology with renewable solar energy may be the true double-whammy of sustainable engineering design.
For more information, check out the Viking Cold Solutions website.