Did you know about these 5 energy storage benefits?
March 28, 2016
Energy storage isn't just for the grid - facility and building managers can install it as well for the numerous benefits it provides. Here are the top five:
1. Savings through the roof
Who doesn't like to save money? The price to run HVAC skyrockets for commercial buildings, including schools, for example, during the day because electricity demand is outstripping supply.
"The University of Arizona saves $38,000 a month on their utility bill with TES."
By storing energy drawn from the grid at night when demand for energy is low, commercial buildings can save dramatically on cooling costs. A thermal energy storage system stores ice during the night and releases its "coolness" during the day, providing air-conditioning at half the price facilities are used to paying.
Take the University of Arizona, for example. Its cooling system provides cooling to 37,000 students across 216 buildings. On a normal day, the thermal energy storage system provides 23,400-ton hours of capacity from 156 ice storage tanks. Chillers generate the cooling at 0.783 kilowatt per ton.
The end result is monthly savings of $38,000 for the university.
Besides energy cost savings, the U.S. government offers EPAct 179D, a tax incentive based on the square footage of the building according to how well energy efficiency is satisfied based on ASHRAE 90.1 standards. HVAC, lighting and building envelope is covered in the incentive and thermal energy storage alone is often enough to qualify for tax deduction levels. The incentive provided can be substantial - up to $1.80 per square foot.
2. Rewards of LEED green building certification
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a certification awarded to buildings that have achieved their new or retrofit design in terms of improving energy efficiency and environmental impact, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. There are four levels of certification - certified, silver, gold and platinum - that can be assigned by accomplishing certain goals in five specific categories:
- Sustainabile sites
- Water efficiency
- Energy and atmosphere
- Materials and resources
- Indoor environmental quality
By installing energy storage, buildings are better equipped to receive LEED certification, thus raising the property value and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. TES provides a number of points toward LEED certification, just for being installed.
3. Increased grid resiliency and reliability
Protecting the stability of the power grid infrastructure is important and energy storage technology, both battery powered and thermal, will play a large role in improving and expanding its capability.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, energy storage becomes more important the further people are from the grid. To get electricity to them efficiently without producing too much pressure on the grid, energy storage can be used. Energy storage also provides power to the grid during times where demand outstrips supply and a blackout occurs, the source reported.
In the case of heatwaves or natural disasters, energy storage alleviates pressures on the grid and allows commercial buildings more independence, protecting businesses from blackouts and reducing the amount of fossil fuel needed to run facilities.
4. Decreased reliance on fossil fuels/Reduced environmental impact
Right now there just isn't enough renewable assets on the ground to make a complete switch to clean renewable energy - it's an undeniable fact. The world is slowly getting there, though, and thermal energy storage is a large part of its successful implementation.
Thermal energy storage is needed to address intermittency and keep solar and wind power on a steady growth trajectory.
As more thermal storage capacity is installed, world grids can begin to truly incorporate more renewable energy resources and take better advantage of existing solar and wind power, drastically reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Of the 3.9 gigawatts of energy storage capacity currently installed across the globe, the Department of Energy reported 1.7 GW is provided by thermal energy storage.
When a facility or building manager installs thermal energy storage, essentially they are supporting renewable energy generation.
5. Building operations agility
Not only does shifting cooling loads to draw electricity at night save money and advance renewable energy, but it creates an unsurpassed level of flexibility. Facility managers gain greater control of how their building operates based on building occupancy, weather and electricity rates from their desktop or tablet. This is incredibly important for places that need to be cooled 24 hours a day, like the McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas.
"Energy storage enables agile building operations."
Cooling is an expensive endeavor that's made more manageable with thermal energy storage. Facility managers can shift the peak cooling loads to nighttime and store the cooling while still providing cooling to any nighttime load in multiple buildings. This allows the facility to bypass expensive peak-demand charges while providing operational flexibility and operating cost savings.
The value of energy storage is truly important and these are just five of the most well-known. Its ability to completely transform the grid is well known in the energy community, and the more you spread the word that #StorageIsHere the quicker it will arrive on a larger scale.
