CALMAC IceBank Thermal Energy Storage System Installed at Florida High School

March 10, 2010 – Vol.14 No.51

CALMAC IceBank Thermal Energy Storage System Installed at Florida High School.

CALMAC, a Fairlawn, New Jersey-based, developer of energy storage systems, has announced the installation of 16 CALMAC IceBank energy storage tanks for the new “EEE” High School campus in Weeki Wachi, Florida, and its neighboring K-8 campus. Matern Professional Engineering designed the high school HVAC system to help qualify the facility to meet LEED (tm) Silver certification. To optimize costs and efficiency, the central energy plant utilizes an IceBank energy storage system to cool the buildings on both campuses. The firm chose CALMAC for its many benefits, including its operational efficiency and its proven reliability.

Chillers work with the CALMAC IceBank energy storage tanks to make ice at night when energy costs are significantly lower. The low-cost stored energy aids the chiller the next day to cool the buildings during peak demand. The combined campuses require 2,200 total tons of cooling capacity. By combining the two central cooling plants into one and adding ice storage, Matern was able to reduce the purchased chiller capacity to 1,200 tons. The hybrid cooling system with ice storage reduced not only the HVAC equipment size and refrigerant required for the project but also the peak energy consumption for the campus. CALMAC’s energy storage tanks are estimated to save 10 percent of the school’s annual electricity costs.

“We are happy to work with Matern on future projects – they are a professional group of engineers and really understand energy-efficient design measures,” said Mark MacCracken, CALMAC CEO and USGBC Board of Directors chair-elect. “Moreover, I’m pleased that our IceBank tanks will help another school save money while reducing the impact of peak energy usage on the environment. Storing energy at night makes more efficient use of energy resources, and there is little energy required to run the cooling system during the day. This is an immense benefit for a school system in Florida, running air-conditioning year round.”

CALMAC’s IceBank tanks are part of this unique “high school as a small town” design concept. Three academic neighborhoods, an administration and media civic center, athletic and dining facilities and a performing arts town center are clustered around a central landscaped courtyard. The ice storage system is an integral part of the overall energy efficiency of the campus buildings, all running off of one central plant. (3/10/10)

Links:

CALMAC
http://www.calmac.com

Disclaimer, Forward-Looking or Safe Harbor Statement on original press release: No