philba
New Member
Basically, using cold storage warehouses to buffer variable windpower. While I disagree with their use of the term energy storage, it makes sense. Basically when there is a windpower surplus, the cold storage facilities cool to 1C lower than their normal temperature and when there isn't a surplus of windpower, allows the temp to drift up 1C higher before turning on the refrigeration. This nets a significant savings of hydrocarbon generated power.
https://www.nature.com/news/2007/070205/full/070205-9.html
I could imagine devices being designed with buffering capabilities to utilize surplus power in a thermal mass (thermo batteries?). Consider an airconditioning system that uses surplus power to cool a thermo battery which then draws on the stored low temperature mass during non-surplus periods. This, of course, assumes that surplus power is billed at a significantly lower rate.
https://www.nature.com/news/2007/070205/full/070205-9.html
I could imagine devices being designed with buffering capabilities to utilize surplus power in a thermal mass (thermo batteries?). Consider an airconditioning system that uses surplus power to cool a thermo battery which then draws on the stored low temperature mass during non-surplus periods. This, of course, assumes that surplus power is billed at a significantly lower rate.