Redding City Council Votes to Expand Ice Energy's Thermal Storage Program

[kristopher]

Redding City Council Votes to Expand Ice Energy's Thermal Storage Program


...Ice Energy, a leading provider of distributed energy storage and smart grid solutions for increasing energy system efficiency and improving grid reliability, and REU will collaborate on the second phase. The program to install Ice Bear units within the northern California territory aims to reduce peak electricity load demand by up to 6 MW over five years.

REU Utility Director Barry Tippin, said, "We are very excited to continue the expansion of our Energy Storage Program. After more than seven years of evaluation, installation and analysis, the Ice Bear product has proven to be a good fit for the Redding community and a cost effective means of shifting on-peak air conditioning demand to off-peak hours. This program improves REU's electric system efficiency and creates essential jobs in our community."

Currently, 40 commercial buildings in Redding have Ice Bears. Those installations have exceeded 1 MW of peak demand reduction and benefited the local economy by employing local HVAC technicians and engineers. The utility reported a 95 percent reduction in peak load demand since the units were installed. The latest phase of Ice Energy's Thermal Energy Storage Program significantly expands the program, and brings manufacturing jobs to Redding.

The Ice Bear system is a distributed energy storage solution used in conjunction with commercial direct-expansion (DX) air conditioning (AC) systems. Ice Bear units utilize electricity from the grid during off-peak periods, converting it into stored thermal energy in the form of ice, and use the ice to perform useful work for building cooling by displacing the operation of commercial AC condensing units during on-peak periods. The benefits include:
- Improved grid efficiency and reliability
- Deferral of the need to add new generating, transmission, and or distribution infrastructure
- Reduced emissions
- Local green job creation

REU expects to have the thermal energy storage program completed in 2017. Skyway Machine, a local Redding manufacturing company, will provide final assembly of the new Ice Bear units....

More at: http://www.utilityproducts.com/news/2012/06/23/redding-city-council-votes-to-expand-ice-energy-s-thermal-storage-program.html


See also: http://www.ice-energy.com/
http://www.ice-energy.com/ice-bear-energy-storage-installations

[XemaSab]

1. And here I thought all the City Council did

was deliver sketchy favors for their political cronies!



ETA: Wonders never cease! The Penlight came out in favor if it too:

http://www.redding.com/news/2012/jun/21/editorial-reu-ice-venture-helps-ratepayers-and/

(Full disclosure: I have a lunch date with Pogue Mahone this week.)

[Kaleva]

2. Interesting! Thanks for posting!