Figure 2. Marginal Emissions by Month of Year, and Hour of Day. Columns 1 to 12 on the y-axis equate to Midnight through Noon; columns 3-24 are the PM hours. Source: NYSERDA, NY DPS 2016. New England: Reducing Emissions In New England, off-peak marginal emissions were shown to be significantly lower –0.7 percent less than during on-peak hours.[vii] On-peak emissions are at their highest when the temperature is highest. “In New England, high electric demand days (HEDDs) are typically characterized by high temperatures leading to elevated cooling (energy) demand. During peak energy demand periods, such as HEDDs, the ISO relies on peaking units, which are less utilized during the rest of the year but respond quickly to meet system demand. These peaking units are often jet (aero-derivative) or combustion turbines with higher emission rates.[viii] – ISO-NE. April 2019. Research showed that marginal emissions for hot, “high electric demand days” in 2017, were a full 34 percent higher than during off-peak hours.[ix] So by relying on energy stored at night to cool the building during the day, thermal energy storage can have a big effect on greenhouse-gas emissions in New England. This impact is only expected to grow as more wind power comes online across the region.[x] From Ice to Heat: Thermal Energy Storage in the Age of Electrification In recent years, regulators and policy-makers across the Northeast have embraced the electrification of heating as a means of reducing the region’s greenhouse gas emissions: by shifting heat from natural gas-powered boilers to electric heat pumps, consumers and businesses can reduce their carbon footprint by relying on an ever-cleaner grid rather than a fossil fuel. Thermal energy storage will soon be playing a role in this transformation. Trane has developed a thermal energy storage solution for both heating and cooling, the Thermal…
