Accelerate Magazine, a publication focused on advancing HVAC&R sustainability, has featured Viking Cold’s Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology. The article covers the sustainability benefits of TES, a recent utility-backed demand management project, and a customer installation case study.

Viking Cold Solutions is pleased to have been named a finalist for the 2019 Energy Storage North America Innovation Awards! The ESNA Innovation Awards recognize excellence and impact in energy storage project development.

Viking Cold has been recognized for its deployment of eight Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems as part of a utility-backed demand management program in Massachusetts. These behind-the-meter TES systems store and facilitate the management of approximately 1.3 MW of energy onsite. This project is noteworthy because Viking Cold’s solution leverages the facilities’ existing refrigeration systems to store cold energy and discharge it over long periods of time (up to 13 hours) when it is most beneficial for the grid and the facility operator, thus lowering energy costs, increasing resiliency, and helping the environment.

The Greater Boston Food Bank, the program’s first installation, has already seen a 75% reduction in energy consumption and a 76% reduction in demand during its four-hour peak demand period.

“As the largest hunger relief organization in New England, our goal is to provide healthy meals to those in need across Eastern Massachusetts,” said The Greater Boston Food Bank SVP of Supply Chain and Food Acquisition, Cheryl Schondek. “We strive for cost-saving operational efficiencies, and our partnership with Eversource and the installation of the Viking Cold TES system better enables us to achieve this goal. We appreciate their commitment to our mission to end hunger here.”

You can read more about the TES project online here.

Please help Viking Cold win this year’s ESNA Innovation Award – you can vote with the form online here. Deadline is September 12, 2019.

Those in the cold storage biz know that more thermal mass inside a freezer allows that freezer to float, or flywheel, longer without active refrigeration. But is food the right thermal mass to use to cut energy costs?  Can flywheeling periods be even longer?  Can more energy be saved?  Can it be done without using food as the thermal battery?  Read the full article published on FoodDive.com to learn how thermal energy storage improves the economic benefits of flywheeling without requiring additional energy or risking the quality of the food we put on our tables every day.

ENERGY-SAVING THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEMS SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED IN WAREHOUSES OWNED BY LOGISTICS COMPANIES, FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTORS, FOOD PROCESSORS, AND NON-PROFITS

HOUSTON and BOSTON (GLOBE NEWS WIRE) – Viking Cold Solutions, the leading thermal energy storage provider for low-temperature cold storage industries, has completed the installation of eight Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems as part of a utility-backed demand management program in Massachusetts. These eight behind-the-meter TES systems store and facilitate management of approximately 1.3 megawatts (MW) of energy onsite, and do not require any additional real estate for the system components. The average size of the cold storage facilities in the program is approximately 50,000 square feet, with the largest being 157,000 square feet.

Installation time averaged 127 days from agreement to commissioning and removal of demand from the grid. The Greater Boston Food Bank was the first TES installation of the demand management program, which also includes industrial facilities owned by the world’s largest third-party cold storage company, the world’s largest foodservice distributor, and numerous frozen food processing companies.

Energy is the second highest direct operating cost for cold storage operators, who must run their refrigeration systems nearly 24 hours per day. Additionally, these facilities have the highest energy demand per cubic foot of any industrial category on the grid. Viking Cold’s TES systems not only store enough energy to cycle off refrigeration for up to 13 hours per day to avoid time-of-use and demand charges, they also improve the existing refrigeration systems’ efficiency and reduce consumption by more than 25 percent.

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The May 2019 edition of Food Logistics includes an article outlining the risks of using frozen food as a battery for flywheeling. The article also discusses using Viking Cold’s Thermal Energy Storage systems as an alternative temperature capacitor to achieve even better flywheeling results, reduce the risks of flywheeling, and provide additional benefits. Utility-sponsored programs that can subsidize or entirely cover the system and installation costs are also discussed.

Energy Analyst, Matt Chester of Energy Central, an online power industry publication,  interviewed Viking Cold’s Marketing Director, Damon Vance, about our recent PLMA Technology Pioneer Award. Here is the full interview: Using Thermal Energy Storage as a Grid Asset: Interview with Viking Cold Solutions, Winner of PLMA Technology Pioneer Award.

Engineered System’s Editor-in-Chief, Herb Woerpel, interviewed Viking Cold’s VP of Sales & Marketing, Collin Coker, to discuss the state of the thermal energy storage market, Viking Cold Solutions’ role in that market, and more.

Peak Load Management Alliance has announced its eight recipients of the 16th annual PLMA awards. Viking Cold has been named a Technology Pioneer being recognized as an industry leader who created innovative ideas, methods, programs, and technologies to meet peak load needs and support successful grid integration of distributed energy resources during calendar year 2018.  Click here to learn more about PLMA awards.

An article on the Grocery Business website describes the importance of understanding multiple categories of sustainability standards and why each Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions goals are important for grocers to remain competitive. Learn more about the expectations of customers, competitors, investors, and even CPG brands for grocers to improve their sustainability.

GreenTech Media’s Julian Spector has written an article covering the huge potential of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) and the few companies that have developed TES technologies. A number of successful projects are highlighted that demonstrate the opportunity for TES to benefit cold storage and utility and power providers right now and into the future.  Viking Cold’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Collin Coker, contributes thoughts about the market adoption of TES and the continued growth of Viking Cold Solutions.