by Brianna Crandall — October 24, 2012—CALMAC Manufacturing Corporation, provider of thermal energy storage systems around the world, recently announced the installation of its IceBank thermal energy storage tanks at Sierra College in Rocklin, California. The installation of the energy storage system at the outdoor Campus Center resulted not only in efficient cooling and savings on electricity, but also a quiet environment and innovative canvas for students and teachers.
The Campus Center has been around since the early 1970s, but due to the loud chillers, none of the students or faculty cared to spend time near it. Sierra College was determined to install a cooling system that created a more favorable educational environment for staff and students, while being reliable, simple and cost effective. CALMAC’s new, quiet ice storage tanks placed in the Center transformed it into a desirable barbecue picnic area, and as an added perk, art students use the tanks as a palette for painting their artistic expressions.
According to CALMAC, the tanks use a lot less electricity during more expensive peak hours, which was a major selling point for Sierra College. From noon to 5 o’clock each day, the engineering department can shut off almost the entire cooling load, yet still ensure the buildings are comfortable.
Dan Brown, Energy Tech Lead at Sierra College, says that he has no complaints so far, and that the system is “very, very simple. The design is simple, the installation was simple. Other systems have all sorts of change-over valves, making it difficult to put the pieces together. We were able to install the CALMAC system ourselves — just a few of us on the energy crew. We did everything but the concrete pour and insulation.” Brown adds that CALMAC’s technical support is “exceptional.”
Since the ice storage tanks were installed, the college says it has seen a reduction in electricity cost and a partial shift of the cooling load at the Campus Center during the day. This has provided a more efficient cooling process for the campus by charging the ice storage tanks at night, with less expensive night-time energy, and cooling the building during the day with energy storage. Any kilowatt reduction made during peak time can save on PG&E rates and in turn save on costs, notes CALMAC.
LP Consulting Engineers has reportedly been successful in installing many ice thermal storage systems on campuses and facilities in the area. Brown mentioned the satisfaction of a neighboring high school that has been using CALMAC’s cooling system for nearly 15 years, which was a factor in Sierra College’s determination that the CALMAC system was a fitting choice.
CALMAC provides both full- and partial- load thermal energy storage systems, building on the basic unit of a seamless, one-piece IceBank storage tank. Each system is modular, and each tank is made of polyethylene and well insulated. Engineered to provide efficient operation with minimal maintenance, the tank contains a spiral-wound, polyethylene-tube heat exchanger surrounded with water. IceBank tanks are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 45 to over 500 ton-hours.
