Game-changing US cooling system saves money, reduces grid demand

A new air-conditioning system called the Energy Storing and Efficient Air Conditioner (ESEAC), co-developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Blue Frontier Inc., promises to significantly reduce cooling costs and electricity demand on the grid. Tested in a Florida trial, the 20-ton ESEAC unit demonstrated the ability to cut peak air-conditioning power demand by over 90% and reduce cooling bills by approximately 45%. The system achieves these savings by integrating energy storage with cooling and humidity control, shifting the most energy-intensive parts of the cooling process to off-peak hours or times when renewable energy is abundant. ESEAC operates by decoupling dehumidification from cooling, using a liquid desiccant to absorb moisture from incoming air and then applying ultra-efficient indirect evaporative cooling. This approach contrasts with conventional vapor-compression air conditioners that cool and dehumidify simultaneously, often leading to inefficiencies. The system stores energy in the form of concentrated salt-based desiccant and