Thermal storage for peak shaving

Thermal storage shifts cooling load from peak hours to off‑peak periods by charging cold (or heat) when electricity is cheaper/cleaner and discharging during peaks.

Technologies

• Chilled water tanks and stratified reservoirs
• Phase‑change materials (PCM)
• Ice storage for compact, high‑density systems

System integration

• Use variable‑speed chillers/heat pumps sized for average load
• Control strategies: pre‑cooling, setpoint optimization, tariff‑aware scheduling
• Couple with PV and demand‑response signals for maximum benefit

Platform exploration

• Compare KPIs for peak load under scenarios with and without storage
• Filter by sector (buildings/industry) and test different contexts
• Map candidate districts for district‑scale storage

References

1. ASHRAE — Thermal Energy Storage Applications Manual
2. IEA — Thermal energy storage for energy efficiency