Load Shifting & Peak Reduction

The main reason to store thermal energy is to move consumption in time: generating or buying energy when it is cheap and using it when it would otherwise be expensive. This is load shifting, and it is where storage earns its keep. It also cuts peak demand, which on many commercial tariffs is worth as much as the energy saving itself. This lesson covers the time-value of energy, worked examples in heating and cooling, peak-demand reduction, and how to work out the value.