ICE for Energy?

LaMonica, Martin. “Throwing Cold Water on Energy-Hog Air Conditioners” CNET News.com Published May 17, 2007. http://news.cnet.com/Throwing-cold-water-on-energy-hog-air-conditioners/2100-11392_3-6184646.html?tag=nw.1 last access 7/21/08. So, with all this talk of energy saving appliances and doing “our” part for the environment, ever wonder why it has taken such a long time to develop technology that doesn’t harm the environment in heating and cooling systems? While energy star rated air conditioning appliances are much more efficient than their non-rated counterparts, there is still a long way to go before air conditioning is truly “green” or efficient. Two companies recently unveiled their “new” technology, quite similar to a geothermal heat pump in which ice/cold water is used to cool the systems instead of high pressured chemicals. These new systems would store their water in an underground ‘tank’ creating cooling energy at night (saving money in energy costs through off-peak usage). Then the coolness from the water (or ice) is then used to make the air cooler in the home. These companies are focusing mainly on bigger industrial units, but plan to also cater to residential homes. Perhaps the technique isn’t perfected yet, but it might be a step in the right direction… You decide. The full article is featured on cnet’s news website and there are several interesting comments. I’m not saying that you should go out and demand your own ice utilizing cooling system, but it is a technology to watch…