While ice may be an age-old method of keeping things cold, only recently has it become a popular way to cool facilities in conjunction with conventional HVAC systems.
So why are so many schools installing and retrofitting with ice?
Because ice-based thermal energy storage can save thousands of dollars in electric bills annually by allowing a school's electric chillers to shut down during on-peak demand time. What's more, in some parts of the country, utility companies are even paying schools money to install ice storage.
Take Edgewood Elementary School in Ft. Myers, Florida, for example. The school is expected to save $29,000 a year in energy costs and will receive a $65,800 utility rebate for shifting 235 kilowatts out of the on-peak period.
Chippewa Valley High School in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, also installed ice storage tanks and will save an estimated $30,000 each year on energy costs. It has already been awarded a $44,000 utility rebate for shifting 214 kilowatts out of the on-peak period.
Similarly, Rand Morgan High School in Corpus Christi installed ice storage to help beat the sweltering Texas heat and saved an estimated $45,000 a year on electricity costs. The school will also receive a whopping $152,400 rebate for using ice storage to shift kilowatts out of on-peak time.
All of these schools are experiencing big savings with ice storage. And all chose to install IceStor static-glycol tanks from FAFCO.
The design engineer on the Edgewood installation liked IceStor's rigid piping connection and user-friendly sight glass. He also noted IceStor's rectangular tank shape, which minimizes space requirements.
At Rand Morgan High School, design engineer Ronald Wheaton, BMW Engineering, Inc., also commented on FAFCO's rigid piping connection and modular assembly, as well as its sturdy metal construction. FAFCO has helped schools across the country put energy costs on ice. During FAFCO'S 25-year history, hundreds of IceStor tanks have been installed in U.S. schools.
