Austin piloting energy storage system
March 11, 2010
Austin Business Journal
Austin will be the first city in Texas to test a clean energy storage system meant to increase efficiency.
Austin Energy is piloting the Ice Energy Ice Bear storage system at the South Austin Recreation Center. The Windsor, Colo.-based Ice Energy product stores energy during off-peak hours and distributes it in high-usage periods. It also includes a built-in smart grid controller that allows units to be remotely monitored and dispatched in real time.
The system is specifically designed for small to mid-sized commercial buildings. Ice Energy has also participated in the Pecan Street Project, Austin's smart-grid initiative. The project recently received $10.4 million from the Department of Energy to develop a grid in the Mueller Airport redevelopment project.