Remember when you were a kid and nothing could cool you down on a hot summer day like a frozen popsicle? One California company is taking that same concept and applying it to residential and commercial energy systems: ice-based air conditioning.
California/Colorado-based Ice Energy has been developing and marketing this technology since 2003. Most recently, they teamed up with California public ulitity company PG&E as part of their new "Shift & Save" program.
In collaboration with vendor technologies such as Ice Energy's Ice Bear hybrid air conditioning system, the "Shift and Save" program provides incentives that cut air conditioning peak electrical demand on light commercial and institutional buildings.
The ice-based air conditioner uses cheaper nighttime electricity to make ice and then uses that ice for daytime cooling needs. The units cooling looks almost identical to a standard AC unit. The systems lowers peak daytime demand significantly, shifting the energy load up to 95%.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find much information on just how much a system like this costs to install in an average home, but it is a technology very much worth looking into for eco-minded homeowners.
Do you use any alternative methods to say cool on hot days? Personally, here in San Francisco, I just turn on a few fans and open all the windows, but in many locations, that would not be nearly enough.
[via ENN]
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