County Expects to See Savings of Nearly $1.2 Million Per Year in Part with Help from 84 IceBank Tanks Installed in Florida Buildings FAIR LAWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CALMAC, a leader in energy storage systems, is part of a project to save Hillsborough County, Florida up to $1.2 million per year. The county installed 84 CALMAC IceBank® Energy Storage tanks to work simultaneously with its existing chilled water plant to cool its entire office space in downtown Tampa. By installing IceBank and updating the previous cooling system, the county is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the load on the power grid and saving money through the use of ice. CALMAC’s system creates ice at night which is then used the next day to cool county buildings, including the historic downtown courthouse, the 28-story county center and the school board building. A green and energy-resourceful way to cool buildings, the IceBank system is shifting the county’s energy consumption load to off-peak times when electric rates are lower and energy is produced more efficiently. "Hillsborough County operates over 1.5 million square feet of building space in downtown Tampa. During recent improvement projects, we identified an opportunity to reduce energy consumption in all county facilities with CALMAC's IceBank system," said Randy Klindworth, Hillsborough County energy manager. "Working with CALMAC, we are now able to efficiently cool our downtown buildings throughout the county, reducing our need for energy, which saves our taxpayers money." The two school district buildings connected to the chilled water loop network not only provide energy-efficient cooling, but they are generating revenue for the county from the sale of chilled water. This partnership enabled the school district to reduce construction costs with an environmental, economical solution. “Our IceBank Energy System is saving Hillsborough County money in terms of energy costs, plus generating revenue from the sale of chilled water, making the installation a lucrative business solution,” said Mark MacCracken, CALMAC CEO and USGBC Board Member. “Our IceBank System reduced peak energy consumption for all county buildings and immediately provided a return on investment.” Air-conditioning is the main driver of on-peak energy usage and the main culprit in electricity shortages. Throughout the day, as more air conditioning is needed to maintain comfortable temperatures, the demand for electricity increases the load already created by lighting, operating equipment, computers and other sources. CALMAC’s IceBank Energy Storage System shifts the building's energy demand from on-peak to off-peak times which decreases cooling costs by up to 40 percent and reduces both source energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
