Cold storage systems for electricity management: Performance analysis in office and power plant applications

In hot seasons, residential areas consume significant amounts of electricity for refrigeration and air conditioning, leading to peak power consumption. This simultaneous increase in cooling load, combined with reduced performance of gas turbines, places considerable stress on the power grid, particu...

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Main Authors: Ramin Mehdipour, Behnam Feizollah Beigi, Romina Fathiraboki, Hasan Asgari, Zahra Baniamerian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Next Energy
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949821X25001267
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author Ramin Mehdipour
Behnam Feizollah Beigi
Romina Fathiraboki
Hasan Asgari
Zahra Baniamerian
author_facet Ramin Mehdipour
Behnam Feizollah Beigi
Romina Fathiraboki
Hasan Asgari
Zahra Baniamerian
author_sort Ramin Mehdipour
collection DOAJ
description In hot seasons, residential areas consume significant amounts of electricity for refrigeration and air conditioning, leading to peak power consumption. This simultaneous increase in cooling load, combined with reduced performance of gas turbines, places considerable stress on the power grid, particularly during specific periods each year. Cold storage systems offer an effective solution by shifting electricity consumption from peak daytime hours to off-peak nighttime periods. This study evaluates and compares the economic and thermal performance of cold storage systems implemented in both power plants and office buildings for peak demand management. Tailored cold storage systems were designed for each application, with a focus on ensuring reliable performance during peak cooling demand based on load analysis. The study utilized real-world case studies, including modeling for an office building in Arak, Iran, and a nearby power plant, to understand the impact of different climatic conditions on system performance. The results indicate that, during peak hours, the turbine’s net power output improved by 15.98% and 17.97% with partial and full storage methods, respectively, compared to scenarios without cooling. Additionally, the economic analysis revealed substantial cost savings, with partial and full storage systems resulting in reductions of 97.36% and 95.54%, respectively, in power plant units compared to similar office buildings with equivalent power consumption. The analysis also highlights that full storage systems in both office and power plant contexts deliver better peak shaving performance but at a higher cost due to the larger size of tanks and equipment required for operation. These findings underscore the potential of cold storage systems as an effective strategy for enhancing electricity management and reducing operational costs.
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spelling doaj-art-14fa2758a96f45ebb1c94d57d7025a682025-08-20T03:27:52ZengElsevierNext Energy2949-821X2025-07-01810036310.1016/j.nxener.2025.100363Cold storage systems for electricity management: Performance analysis in office and power plant applicationsRamin Mehdipour0Behnam Feizollah Beigi1Romina Fathiraboki2Hasan Asgari3Zahra Baniamerian4Mechanical and Aerospace Systems Research Group, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2TU, UK; Corresponding author.Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tafresh University, Tafresh, IranDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Tafresh University, Tafresh, IranDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Tafresh University, Tafresh, IranMechanical and Aerospace Systems Research Group, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2TU, UKIn hot seasons, residential areas consume significant amounts of electricity for refrigeration and air conditioning, leading to peak power consumption. This simultaneous increase in cooling load, combined with reduced performance of gas turbines, places considerable stress on the power grid, particularly during specific periods each year. Cold storage systems offer an effective solution by shifting electricity consumption from peak daytime hours to off-peak nighttime periods. This study evaluates and compares the economic and thermal performance of cold storage systems implemented in both power plants and office buildings for peak demand management. Tailored cold storage systems were designed for each application, with a focus on ensuring reliable performance during peak cooling demand based on load analysis. The study utilized real-world case studies, including modeling for an office building in Arak, Iran, and a nearby power plant, to understand the impact of different climatic conditions on system performance. The results indicate that, during peak hours, the turbine’s net power output improved by 15.98% and 17.97% with partial and full storage methods, respectively, compared to scenarios without cooling. Additionally, the economic analysis revealed substantial cost savings, with partial and full storage systems resulting in reductions of 97.36% and 95.54%, respectively, in power plant units compared to similar office buildings with equivalent power consumption. The analysis also highlights that full storage systems in both office and power plant contexts deliver better peak shaving performance but at a higher cost due to the larger size of tanks and equipment required for operation. These findings underscore the potential of cold storage systems as an effective strategy for enhancing electricity management and reducing operational costs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949821X25001267Peak shiftingElectricity consumptionCold storage systemPartial and full storage system
spellingShingle Ramin Mehdipour
Behnam Feizollah Beigi
Romina Fathiraboki
Hasan Asgari
Zahra Baniamerian
Cold storage systems for electricity management: Performance analysis in office and power plant applications
Next Energy
Peak shifting
Electricity consumption
Cold storage system
Partial and full storage system
title Cold storage systems for electricity management: Performance analysis in office and power plant applications
title_full Cold storage systems for electricity management: Performance analysis in office and power plant applications
title_fullStr Cold storage systems for electricity management: Performance analysis in office and power plant applications
title_full_unstemmed Cold storage systems for electricity management: Performance analysis in office and power plant applications
title_short Cold storage systems for electricity management: Performance analysis in office and power plant applications
title_sort cold storage systems for electricity management performance analysis in office and power plant applications
topic Peak shifting
Electricity consumption
Cold storage system
Partial and full storage system
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949821X25001267
work_keys_str_mv AT raminmehdipour coldstoragesystemsforelectricitymanagementperformanceanalysisinofficeandpowerplantapplications
AT behnamfeizollahbeigi coldstoragesystemsforelectricitymanagementperformanceanalysisinofficeandpowerplantapplications
AT rominafathiraboki coldstoragesystemsforelectricitymanagementperformanceanalysisinofficeandpowerplantapplications
AT hasanasgari coldstoragesystemsforelectricitymanagementperformanceanalysisinofficeandpowerplantapplications
AT zahrabaniamerian coldstoragesystemsforelectricitymanagementperformanceanalysisinofficeandpowerplantapplications