Industrial Ice Storage and Photovoltaics – Sustainable Energy Solutions for the Manufacturing Industry

Introduction: Efficient, Reliable, and Sustainable Industrial Cooling

In the era of the energy transition, the manufacturing sector faces three strategic challenges: energy efficiency, CO₂ reduction, and supply security.

A forward-looking solution that meets all three is the combination of industrial ice storage systems and photovoltaic (PV) power generation.

This synergy allows companies to store surplus solar energy as cooling capacity, shift electrical loads, and increase on-site consumption of renewable power. 

Industrial ice storage combined with photovoltaics enables manufacturers to store excess solar energy as cooling, balance load peaks, and cut CO₂ emissions sustainably.

The Role of Industrial Ice Storage in Modern Energy Systems

Function and Design of Ice Storage Systems

Industrial ice storage systems are thermal energy storage units that accumulate energy in the form of cold. Their operation is based on latent heat storage, utilizing the phase transition of water to ice.

Within a water tank, vertical evaporator plates form an ice layer. When needed, warm return water circulates across these plates, melting the ice and releasing the stored cooling energy for process or climate control applications.

Engineering note: The phase change at 0 °C enables high energy density and nearly loss-free storage performance.

Industrial Benefits

Ice storage systems act as thermal buffers that stabilize electrical consumption and decouple cooling demand from energy generation.

This flexibility allows the use of smaller chiller units, reduces peak loads, and lowers operational costs – key advantages for industries with continuous cooling needs.

Advantages Compared to Battery Storage

Unlike lithium-ion batteries, ice storage systems are non-toxic, recyclable, and maintenance-friendly.

They require no rare materials and exhibit stable performance over decades. Their CO₂ footprint is significantly lower, making them an environmentally sound long-term solution for industrial energy storage and load management.

Photovoltaics – Clean Power for Industrial Energy Systems

Principle and Application

Photovoltaic systems (PV) convert sunlight directly into electricity. This emission-free, decentralized technology offers low operating costs and predictable energy yields over decades. PV is now a cornerstone of corporate sustainability and energy independence strategies.

The Challenge of Energy Availability

Because solar energy generation fluctuates throughout the day, energy storage is essential for maximizing efficiency. During midday, when solar output peaks, ice storage systems absorb the excess electricity as cooling energy – ready to be deployed when solar generation declines.

The Synergy of Ice Storage and Photovoltaics

Smart Load Management and Energy Optimization

The integration of PV and ice storage creates an intelligent load management system. Surplus PV electricity is used to charge the ice storage – that is, to freeze water.

Later, the stored cooling energy supports process cooling, air conditioning, or production operations without grid power. This approach flattens demand peaks, reduces grid dependency, and strengthens supply security.

Technological Integration

The system can be seamlessly connected to existing energy management systems (EMS) and supports dynamic control of load and discharge cycles.

During sunny hours, the cooling unit operates using PV power; at night, the stored ice provides cooling capacity without additional electricity. This contributes to grid stability, energy autonomy, and optimized energy efficiency.

Economic and Environmental Benefits for Companies

Integrating PV and ice storage yields measurable advantages:

Benefit	Description
Up to 40 % energy savings	Through self-consumption and load shifting
Lower operating costs	Smaller chillers and reduced maintenance
Tariff optimization	Use of off-peak electricity
Funding eligibility	Qualifies for national & EU decarbonization programs
CO₂ reduction & ESG compliance	Supports sustainability reporting
Energy autonomy	Enhances supply security and production reliability

Industries with high cooling demand – such as food processing, logistics, and chemical manufacturing – benefit most from this integration, cutting external energy costs while boosting sustainability credentials.

Contribution to the Energy Transition and Sustainable Industry

The integration of PV with industrial ice storage drives decarbonization and enables decentralized, resilient energy infrastructures. It reduces transmission losses and supports climate-neutral manufacturing.

Thanks to modular construction, ice storage can be implemented in both new installations and retrofits of existing systems. This technology strengthens competitiveness while aligning with energy efficiency, security of supply, and environmental responsibility.

Action Plan for Industrial Decision-Makers

Companies aiming to reduce CO₂ emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and cut electricity costs should evaluate the feasibility of integrating PV and ice storage solutions into their processes.

Engineering partners such as HTT AG design and implement customized energy systems tailored to specific industrial needs – from design and simulation to full integration into existing EMS architectures.

Request an energy audit now to identify your potential for PV and thermal storage integration. Discover how to turn your production cooling into a key pillar of your energy transition.

Technical Overview: Components and Benefits

Component	Function	Technical Highlights	Advantages
Ice Storage	Thermal energy storage based on water–ice phase change	Uses latent heat at 0 °C for high energy density	Long lifespan, low maintenance, minimal losses
Photovoltaics	Converts sunlight to electricity	Silicon cells (14–22 % efficiency)	Emission-free, cost-effective self-generation
Combined System	Integrated energy management system	Intelligent load control for charge/discharge cycles	Peak shaving, grid independence, optimized efficiency

FAQ

What is an industrial ice storage system and how does it work?

An industrial ice storage system stores cooling energy by freezing water during off-peak times (e.g., night or when surplus solar power is available) and then melting that ice to provide cold for process cooling or air conditioning when demand is high. It relies on latent heat storage (phase change from water → ice → water) which offers high energy density and efficient load shifting. 

Why combine photovoltaics (PV) with an ice storage system in industry?

Because PV-systems generate electricity primarily during sunny hours, but cooling demand (or process demand) may peak later or at night. By using surplus solar power to freeze ice (i.e., charge the storage), you shift the cooling load to times of low grid tariffs or low solar production. This improves self-consumption of the PV system, reduces peaks on the grid and enhances energy autonomy. 

What are the main advantages compared to battery energy storage?

• Ice storage uses simpler materials (water/ice) rather than rare/expensive raw materials required in batteries.
• Maintenance and degradation are lower: Many ice-systems can operate for well over 15 years with stable performance.
• They directly tie into cooling demand (thermal storage) rather than converting electricity to electricity, which can be more efficient when the major demand is cooling.

What are the typical applications and industries suited for this technology?

Industries with high cooling or process-chill demands benefit most: e.g., food & beverage, logistics cold storage, chemical/pharmaceutical production, data centres. Also infrastructures where grid peak demand or electricity cost is a major concern – so shifting loads yields economic benefit. 

What are the key design and implementation considerations?

• Sizing of storage: You must evaluate cooling demand, peak loads, duration of storage, freezing time and thawing cycle.
• Integration with PV & Energy-Management: Ensure the control system (EMS) can manage charging during PV surplus and discharge during peak load.
• Space and installation: Ice tanks require space; site conditions (insulation, cooling loops, tank geometry) matter.
• Economic & lifecycle analysis: Compare to alternatives (e.g., batteries or conventional chillers) to assess pay-back, maintenance and life-cycle costs. 

What about the limitations or challenges?

• Initial investment: While cost-efficient in operation, upfront cost may be significant.
• Matching PV surplus to storage usage: If PV generation surplus is low or cooling demand doesn’t match storage timing, benefits reduce.
• System complexity: Requires integration of cooling plant, storage tank, control system and possibly PV power management.
• Physical space: Tanks and piping for large storage capacity can require significant footprint.

How much energy or cost savings can be expected?

While exact numbers depend on site-specifics, many systems report substantial savings by shifting cooling generation to off-peak or surplus PV periods, reducing chiller size, curbing peak electricity demand and improving self-consumption. In some industrial cases, savings of up to ~30-40% in energy costs for the cooling part are referenced.

How does this contribute to sustainability and the energy transition?

By enabling higher utilisation of renewables (PV) for cooling loads, reducing peak grid demand, lowering CO₂ emissions, improving energy autonomy and supporting decarbonisation of industrial processes. Thermal storage like ice helps fill the gap where battery storage or other solutions may not be optimal or cost-effective.

What are the maintenance and durability aspects?

Ice storage systems typically have fewer moving parts compared to battery systems, and the materials (water, ice, metal plates) are durable. Many manufacturers claim long lifecycles, low maintenance demand and stable performance over decades. 

How do you determine if a company should invest in this solution?

Key criteria to evaluate:

• Cooling / refrigeration demand profile (peak times, load levels)
• Available roof or land area and solar PV potential
• Electricity tariff structure (off-peak vs peak, demand charges)
• Existing cooling infrastructure and potential for retrofitting
• Objectives for decarbonisation, energy autonomy and cost-reduction

If the analysis shows significant mismatch between PV generation and cooling demand, or substantial peak loads and demand charges – then an industrial ice storage + PV solution is likely beneficial.