Storage system, wind turbine team up to achieve cost-saving results

November 23, 2015

While energy storage technologies represent a great way for companies to save up the power needed to fuel their facilities, they do not exist in a vacuum. Storage, in fact, can work best in concert with other power devices that harness renewable energy.

HPAC Engineering recently publicized a prime example of energy storage working as part of a larger system. At the Dundalk Institute of Technology in Dundalk, Ireland, the PJ Carroll Building plays host to the world's first large commercial wind turbine on a college campus. The concept is simple - the wind blows frequently in Ireland, but not consistently. Therefore, the university decided to channel its wind power using a storage system that could bottle up power for times of peak demand.

This strategy accomplishes two things - one, it keeps DkIT from wasting power during times when it's in high supply, and two, it helps the university handle its high demands even when the wind isn't blowing. Rather than have sporadic, unpredictable levels of power on hand, the school is able to manage its use effectively.

The installation
CALMAC was able to work with BDP, an international firm including architects and engineers, to install IceBank energy storage tanks at DkIT, making it easy for the university to capture excess energy. Using the tanks and chillers held in an underground basement, the school was able to store power while also saving dramatically on cooling costs.

"The installation went without any problems," said Christian Maas, building services technical officer at DkIT. "The start-up and testing was also quite smooth."

Added Edel Donnelly, building services engineer at BDP: "This installation provides the perfect example of how buildings can be used to even the peaks and troughs created on the national grid by the addition of wind resources."

The results
By implementing this new system, DkIT was able to achieve three goals at once: better flexibility, lower costs and a lesser environmental impact.

The wind turbine helped the university meet 40 percent of its energy requirements all by itself, including 16 percent of the PJ Carroll Building's needs. In the nine-month period between August 2011 and May 2012, the school saved nearly $8,000 over a system that didn't use energy storage.