Energy solutions for the modern grid

July 29, 2019

The grid is changing due to climate change and growth of intermittent renewable resources. Soon electricity will be priced by time of energy use. When energy is plentiful, energy prices will be cheap but when the sun doesn’t shine or wind doesn’t blow, or there is a heat wave, energy rices will soar!

Can your building react with energy agility?

Storing energy will be vital to overcome peak pricing and intermittency. Partnering with utilities will help the grid make wind and solar more dispatchable energy more affordable, buildings and grids more agile and resilient.

Energy storage can help overcome the intermittency of renewable generation to provide resiliency and enable energy agility for the grid and buildings; With energy awareness (bill management, rate analysis) energy storage can be controlled by building owners to help manage energy costs.

All types of energy storage will be important, but one solution stands out – Thermal energy storage.

Why thermal energy storage?

HVAC is responsible for 40% of energy consumption(1); half of which is due to HVAC(2). The HVAC industry knows that air-conditioning is the largest, easiest electric load to shift and store. Storing the cooling helps building be a resource for the grid. Plus air-conditioning is the largest easiest load to shift and store.

Thermal energy storage can store cleaner, less expensive energy when available in the form of ice. In turn, building owners have an energy agile building resource that provides low cost of operation. Thermal energy storage can reduce demand charges, allow participation in demand response without sacrificing occupant comfort, open the facility to off-peak rates or electricity markets, where deregulated, improve resiliency, lower carbon footprint and foster good grid citizenship.

1. Berkeley Lab, June 2009; 2. Energy Department, November 2014