What’s cooler — and better for the power grid — than being ice cool? Ice cold.
New research is exploring how ice batteries could help chill buildings without cranking up demand for air conditioning and putting strain on the grid on hot days.
The idea is simple: Freeze liquid when power is cheaper at night. Thaw the liquid during the day — its cool vapors replacing a building’s power-hungry reliance on air conditioners.
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The technology has been in use for years and has caught on for some large commercial sites. The 30-story Eleven Madison skyscraper in New York City uses an ice battery for cooling, as does Rockefeller Center and the Bank of America Tower.
