Compression refrigeration systems, with or without TES,
are much less dependent on ambient conditions. They can
cool inlet air to low temperatures (down to 4°C, or 39°F, if
necessary), but are more expensive and, without TES, have
the disadvantage that their efficiency decreases
considerably with decreasing load. Moreover, they use
electricity as a primary energy source, and this can be a
drawback during peak hours, when electricity demand
reaches its maximum. By using an ice-based TES system,
the latter disadvantage can be partly overcome. The
compression refrigeration unit will produce ice during low
cost off-peak electricity periods, while during the day,
ice-cooled water will be used to reduce inlet air
temperature (Ebeling et al., 1994 and 1992). System
complexity and equipment size appear to be a major