Visitors to the 2016 AHR Expo can learn more about "Ice Made Easy" energy storage solutions from CALMAC
January 26, 2016
Over 40,000 visitors and 2,000 manufacturers attended last year's International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) held in Chicago, according to HPAC Engineering. An even larger crowd of 60,000 engineers, building designers, contractors, facility managers and other members of the HVAC industry is expected to descend upon the 2016 AHR Expo, currently ongoing at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, from January 25-27.
In addition to attending multiple seminars, workshops and product presentations, building owners and engineering professionals alike will get an up close and personal view of the most innovative HVAC technologies available. One award-winning technology that professionals should keep a close eye out for at the Expo is the ice-enhanced air-cooled chiller plant offered by Trane, a division of Ingersoll Rand, and CALMAC Corp. This proven solution leverages CALMAC's modular IceBank thermal storage tanks and air-cooled chillers developed by Trane to considerably reduce cooling costs for commercial buildings, universities and school district campuses.
The return of a winning formula to the AHR Expo
This year marks the second time the ice-enhanced air-cooled chiller plant has been showcased at the AHR Expo. Given how well the crowd received the technology at AHR 2015, the thermal storage experts at CALMAC had good reason to give 2016 visitors another chance to learn more about the technology. In fact, the chiller system even earned a nod last year in the form of a prestigious Product of the Year: Silver Award from Consulting-Specifying Engineer. Evaluators ranked the thermal energy storage solution among the best of the best based on the system's ability to provide an energy-efficient, environmentally responsible cooling solution by shifting their energy demands to off-peak hours.
Ice Made Easy Benefits
Since the ice enhanced chiller plant is air-cooled, there are no cooling towers, so the system requires less maintenance and consumes no water—great for drought stricken areas in the Western U.S. The package also includes dashboards and state-of-the-art graphics that coordinate seamlessly with the control system. Engineers benefit from the pre-packaged system that makes planning, specifying, schematics and incorporating control systems fast and efficient. Contractor will appreciate the fast installation. And operators will love the reliable consistent operation. The package also includes dashboards and state-of-the-art graphics that coordinate seamlessly with the control system to ensure maximum comfort and savings occur.
Three key technologies compromise the ice-enhanced air-cooled chiller plant system:
- Trane air-cooled chillers designed to operate in tandem with ice storage technologies are used to cool water without the need for resource-wasting cooling towers.
- CALMAC IceBank thermal energy storage tanks, factory-built for quick installation, are used to cost-effectively store cleaner, nighttime energy for later use.
- The ice completion module, a factory-built pumping system designed to be installed on site, acts as a central point of control for system start-up and connection management. Installation and technical support are included with the module.
The ice-enhanced air-cooled chiller plant allows users to take advantage of low-cost utility rates that occur at night by storing energy in the form of ice. During the day, this ice is melted to cool the facility. By reshaping the building's demand profile, users are also able to limit pressure on the power grid during peak periods while also cutting energy costs by a significant margin.
A closer look reveals how storage offers immediate value
Just 100 miles south of the 2016 AHR Expo, ice storage is hard at work helping the St. Lucie County School District (SLCSD) in Ft. Pierce, Florida, save nearly $5 million each year in energy costs. The addition of the chiller and energy storage plants have helped one the state's leading energy consumers among school districts to cut energy spending by 40 percent each year. The school district's first set of ice tanks were installed in 2007 and CALMAC's thermal storage technology has continued to serve the SLCSD reliably over the past nine years.
CALMAC has collaborated with Trane in the U.S. for over 25 years and Expo attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about this proven HVAC solution by speaking with CALMAC's experts face-to-face at the main exhibitor's hall. Visitors that think ice is complicated, think again. Learn how Ice is Made Easy by visiting CALMAC at booth #4004.
