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California utility augments 1,800 air conditioning units with “ice battery”
A Santa Barbara-based company called Ice Energy has partnered with NRG Energy to deliver 1,800 “ice batteries” to commercial and industrial buildings served by electric utility Southern California Edison (SCE). The units are expected to reduce air conditioning bills by up to 40 percent and eliminate 200,000 tons of CO2 over the next 20 years.
Ice Energy has been building ice-based cooling systems since the early 2000s. Much like pumped storage or compressed air “batteries,” Ice Energy essentially stores electricity by drawing power from the grid at non-peak times to freeze water in a special container. Then at peak times, when the cost of electricity is high and grid operators are struggling to keep up with demand, Ice Energy’s systems kick in and use that block of ice to cool the space that the air conditioning unit normally serves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 07 2017, @04:14PM (2 children)
The water problems are not easily solvable without the desalination plants. Why would you even say that? Besides the Northern Californians that are pissed about the Southern Californians stealing their water, the rights that go to the natives as well as the farmers that have owned rights for many decades, it's hardly what any reasonable person would say is easily solvable. Between those groups you've got enough voters to easily flip the legislature in one way or the other.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday May 07 2017, @10:12PM (1 child)
The water problems are not easily solvable without the desalination plants.
Charge farms and other users what the water costs. If they can't afford it, then that means less demand for water. The problems don't have to be solved.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday May 08 2017, @04:36AM