James Bell, CEO

These cold storage facilities must maintain low, stable temperatures 24 hours a day. With energy costs on the rise, cold storage operators and utilities are looking for flexible and efficient energy solutions and alternative energy sources that require greener and more reliable storage technologies. Energy storage with the ability to optimize the time and amount of energy used is key to managing energy costs—enter Viking Cold’s Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology.

Increased System Efficiency Through Flexibility

Viking Cold’s TES systems store energy in the form of cold to be used at times that provide the most economic benefit to cold storage operators. Improved system efficiencies and time of use flexibility consistently save customers 20%-35% of their energy spend. This flexibility also provides a resource for utility grid operators to help reduce energy demand fluctuations and stabilize the grid—helping to avoid building costly new generation infrastructure and substantially reducing carbon emissions.

The genesis of TES in freezers was born when Paul Robbins, the founder and inventor of Viking Cold’s Thermal Energy Storage technology, saw the need for improved energy efficiency and food protection in the freezer space while shipping frozen food between warehouses in Florida and Puerto Rico. He identified extremely high-energy costs during transit as well as in the recipients’ cold storage facilities. Viking Cold’s TES system was developed to minimize energy usage to reduce costs while maintaining stable freezer temperatures that better protect food at every point in the cold chain.

“Not only have we developed a creative way to provide value to our customers, but the real innovation is the energy savings while preserving food and protecting the environment,” says Bell.

Innovative Technology for the Global Cold Chain

The Viking Cold TES system is comprised of three key elements: Phase Change Material (PCM), intelligent controls, and a cloud-based monitoring and reporting portal.