| Solar thermal energy is energy produced through heat | | | | produces ice for storage, which chills water in the air |
| from the sun which is then converted into heat that is | | | | conditioning system. The water circulating through the |
| captured for energy use. Thermal collectors come in | | | | melting ice can work for six hours a day. The storage |
| low, medium, and high forms, and are also able to store | | | | system minimizes 50% of costs by shutting off the |
| the energy for later use. | | | | chillers during peak hours. Water-based technology is |
| Thermal energy is stored in a thermal reservoir. Solar | | | | efficiently offset by the amount of heat loss involved in |
| thermal energy can be used immediately in full, or it | | | | the use. |
| can be used in part balanced between day time and | | | | While water-based technology may not always be the |
| night time and in addition to utility energy. The thermal | | | | most efficient, it still has its benefits. The fuel used to |
| reservoir can come in varied forms and may be | | | | run these water coolers is local and minimal, and the |
| maintained at a temperature either hotter or cooler | | | | emissions are proven to be low. The plants that run |
| than the ambient environment. | | | | these coolant systems often run off low-emission |
| Solar thermal energy storage generally stores heat, | | | | base load facilities in the evening to insure lower |
| most often in solar collectors which are considered to | | | | emissions. |
| be insulated repositories. This energy can later be used | | | | The condensing form of water-based technology has |
| for space heating, water heating, or even to generate | | | | recently been added to the forum. Refrigerants have |
| electricity. Most often thermal energy is stored for a | | | | become popular over the last hundred years, using |
| few hours or days, but seasonal thermal energy | | | | pumped coolers, and ice to chill the liquids. |
| storage is becoming more and more popular. | | | | Compressors are being removed from the design, |
| There are two general types of thermal energy | | | | using water chill technology instead. |
| storage, water-based technology and molten salt | | | | Molten salt technology has recently become part of |
| technology. Water-based technology has been used | | | | thermal energy storage. The salt can be used as a |
| for decades, originally beginning with the transportation | | | | heat store to retain heat collected by solar energies. |
| of ice from city to city as a coolant. It was discovered | | | | The efficiency is thought to be around 99%, although |
| at this time that a small storage facility can hold | | | | this is not conclusive at this point. Molten salt |
| enough ice to cool a large building anywhere from a | | | | technology is non-flammable and nontoxic and has |
| day to a week. This same concept was taken and | | | | been used in heat-transport fluid. The salt melts and is |
| then applied to air conditioning. | | | | kept liquid in an insulated cold storage tank. The salt is |
| Air conditioning is combined with the use of thermal | | | | pumped through solar panels, heated through the sun |
| energy storage to minimize the capital investment. The | | | | and then sent to a hot storage tank. This thermal |
| partial storage system paired with the air conditioner | | | | energy can then be used for up to a week. |