HOUSTON, Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – Viking Cold Solutions, a leader in thermal energy storage systems, today announced that a Southern California Utility, along with an independent 3^rd party energy management firm, ASWB Engineering, completed a Field Demonstration Study of the Viking Cold Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system. The study verified a reduction in electricity consumption of 30% and 39% in two separate low temperature cold storage facilities in the San Diego area. Based on the results of this study, the Utility and ASWB recommended that California utilities adopt the technology into their Energy Efficiency incentive programs.

The purpose of the independent study was to determine the effectiveness of Viking Cold’s patented TES system in cold storage freezer applications and to qualify the system for California utility inventive programs as part of the California Energy Commission Emerging Technologies initiative.

“The benefits of the technology include reduced refrigeration equipment run time and increased product safety during power emergencies due to the thermal storage capabilities of the solution,” said John Baffa, Professional Engineer at ASWB Engineering.

“It is exciting to see our technology recognized by a leading utility energy efficiency program and I’m pleased that the study validates the results that Viking Cold customers already experience daily,” said James Bell, CEO of Viking Cold Solutions. “Our passive, non-mechanical system is a cost-effective way to reduce energy consumption across the cold chain, from walk-in freezers to large distribution warehouses, which can be used stand-alone, or to boost the return with solar PV.”

Two locations currently using Viking Cold’s TES system were studied by ASWB. The first test site, a walk-in freezer on Camp Pendleton in Southern California, showed a net facility energy savings of 30%.  The second test site is a commercial freezer warehouse at the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. By leveraging the Food Bank’s existing photovoltaic system to run the refrigeration during the day and using Viking Cold’s TES system at night, the facility showed a net energy savings of 39%.

“Electricity costs are one of the top two expenses in the cold storage industry and this study demonstrates the value of using an intelligent Thermal Energy Storage system to reduce energy consumption in freezers,” said Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA). “Based on these results, our membership should evaluate this technology for their own low temperature applications.”

The complete Phase Change Material and Controls Field Demonstration Study, written by ASWB Engineering, can be downloaded on the California Emerging Technologies Coordinating Council’s website at http://www.etcc-ca.com/reports/phase-change-material-and-controls-study-low-temp-refrigeration-applications.

About Viking Cold Solutions:

Viking Cold Solutions™ is an energy management company, which makes the world’s cold storage systems more efficient using proprietary Phase Change Material (PCM) and intelligent controls.  The Thermal Energy Storage (TES) solution stores energy, reduces demand, shifts load, monitors the facility, and provides thermal back-up protection. The company’s patented TES systems have saved over 7,000 MWh of energy, reduced carbon footprint by over 4,600 metric tons, and prevented more than $13M of product loss. Learn more at vikingcold.com

Viking Cold is combining Thermal Energy Storage with renewable energy sources, such as PV systems, making it possible for cold-storage facilities, supermarkets, and utilities to intelligently store and deploy refrigeration to reduce energy costs. This environmentally friendly solution solves one of the largest challenges to solar energy utilization by reducing renewable variability.

“Solar has proven to be a low-cost, reliable and green generation resource, but it creates a new problem with utilities with its intermittent nature for customers that require around the clock refrigeration,” said James Bell, CEO of Viking Cold Solutions. “Until now, the missing piece has been cost-effective and reliable thermal energy storage.  Our system will enable cold storage operators to sustainably protect their products, while lowering operating costs, making solar energy much more accessible to companies driven by green business practices.”

The Thermal Energy Storage solution in combination with PV generation stores thermal energy and deploys it during peak demand, in the evening or any time of non-generation. As a result, electricity peak demand can be reduced by up to 90 percent.

Utilities benefit from the Viking Cold’s Solar Energy Storage solution by providing a “buffer” of efficient and green on-demand energy storage at customer sites. The solution also helps stabilize the grid enabling more intermittent users & suppliers of electricity to safely interconnect and helps achieve local mandatory energy storage targets.

Rooftop solar and Viking Cold’s Solar Energy Storage™ share many advantages, making them a perfect combination:

• Increase the value of solar PV - by storing energy during the day and using it for refrigeration at night (increasing savings)
• Cost-effectiveness and system longevity – Rooftop solar and Viking Cold’s Solar Energy Storage are low-cost and are designed to last for at least 20 years or the life of the facility, with minimal maintenance or downtime.
• Lower peak demand charges – Peak load shedding or shifting at any time of day increases savings during periods of renewable variability
• Reduce operational risk - Thermal backup allows customers to maintain safe temperatures and food quality during power outages or equipment failure, reducing business interruption and perishable food loss
• Economic development—Rooftop solar and Viking Cold’s Solar Energy Storage use local engineering and labor, leveraging utility investments to boost the local economy.

Viking Cold Solutions™ is a thermal energy storage company focused on making the world’s cold storage systems smarter and more efficient. Their Thermal Energy Storage Systems have saved their clients over 5600 MW of energy and have removed over 3900 metric tons of Carbon from the air. Their team has deep expertise in cold storage energy management, supermarket energy management, and thermal energy storage systems.

Viking Cold provides turnkey energy-management solutions that reduce operational costs and business risk for cold storage and supermarkets with high refrigeration-based energy loads. The company is expanding rapidly throughout the U.S. and internationally. To learn more, please watch Viking Cold’s 90 second video which explains how the technology works and visit vikingcold.com.

CONTACT: Collin Coker, ccoker@vikingcold.com, +1-832-497-5205

Viking Cold’s thermal energy storage system uses phase change material that absorbs heat as it melts, allowing chillers to run less frequently and still keep the Butterfield & Vallis warehouse within a few degrees of -18° Celsius.  The system is among 20 built and installed by Viking in cold storage warehouses in Bermuda, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, California, New Mexico and Texas.

A detailed case study of the project may be found at: http://www.puretemp.com/pcmatters/bermuda-food-distributor-tes

Viking Cold Solutions is an energy storage company focused on making the world’s cold storage systems smarter and more efficient. Viking Cold’s thermal energy storage systems have saved clients over 5330 MW of energy and have removed over 3676 metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere. The Viking Cold team has deep expertise in cold storage energy management, supermarket energy management, and thermal energy storage systems.

For more information see:  www.vikingcold.com

Case Study Courtesy of Phase Change Matters-a publication produced by Entropy Solutions LLC, a biobased specialty chemical company based in Plymouth, Minnesota.

CONTACT: Collin Coker, ccoker@vikingcold.com, +1-832-497-5205