Powering with Renewable Resources: Thermal Energy Storage (1-hour)

This is an archived recording of the 2021 online version of the course. The course materials and continuing education credits and/or professional development hours are not available. With the push to connect renewable energy sources to utility grids, batteries often take center stage as the preferred means to bridge periods in which end-use electricity demands exceed production from renewable sources.Although batteries seem to be the logical technology to fill this gap, they are high cost, resource intensive, and prone to a process called battery aging, which limits their capacity to charge/discharge. When renewable resources are unavailable, energy from the grid supplies your needs, eliminating the expense of storage devices like batteries.Because building air conditioning systems are responsible for driving much of the peak demands that utilities experience, it makes sense to look at technologies that can mitigate the effects that building cooling loads have on the grid. Thermal energy storage is quickly being recognized as both a strategic and cost-effective technology that can enable significant increases in renewable energy production. Compared to batteries, thermal energy storage offers significant advantages including: cost-effectiveness (thermal storage systems are one-third to one-half the cost of batteries), increased round-trip efficiency and longer life-expectancy.Sensible and latent heat storage technologies add to the variety of options for implementation. Thermal energy storage makes for space and energy efficient sites, as well as provides a more reliable way to accumulate and use power. This course will kindle interest in the positive properties of thermal energy storage (TES).It gives a short, introductory look at thermal energy storage as a viable alternative to battery power – a leaner, greener way to store power.The details presented in this course is an excellent segue into ALI’s more in-depth Thermal Energy Storage Systems for Air Conditioning course.