West Midlands Frozen Cold Store
The Challenge
A commercial frozen cold storage facility in the West Midlands operating at a strict -18°C were looking to mitigate high peak tariff electricity costs, as well as improve overall energy efficiency and temperature stability. As is common with many frozen cold storage facilities, their refrigeration equipment was consuming the large majority of its peak power load during the most expensive tariff rate periods of the day. The operator was looking for a reliable solution to shift this energy load to cheaper off-peak hours, without risking product spoilage or allowing rapid temperature fluctuations.
The Solution
Glacier Storage Solutions implemented a turnkey Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system using 22 GlacierCore™ modules. Before installation, our proprietary selection software modelled the precise warehouse dimensions (17.4m x 15.25m x 3.88m), allowing for optimal design and configuration, as well as estimating potential financial returns.
The GlacierCore™ units were then seamlessly installed directly into the existing racking infrastructure, with no downtime or operational disruption. The facility was immediately able to freeze the Phase Change Material (PCM) overnight using cheaper electricity tariff rates.
Crucially, the PCM offered a significantly increased thermal capacity compared to the stored product alone. This immense thermal buffer vastly improved temperature stability, which in turn reduced refrigeration equipment cycling and minimised energy-intensive defrost penalties. Once fully charged, the main refrigeration equipment could reduce its load capacity, or in certain periods, power down entirely, relying completely on the frozen PCM to passively cool the room.
Field Study Results
Independent customer monitoring was conducted from October 2025 to February 2026, which validated massive performance gains. Most impressively, the real-world data proved to be a close match to our initial software design estimates / projections.
As a result of installing the Glacier Storage TES system, the facility achieved the following:
- Cost Reduction: Cut direct operational costs by 38% during core experiment sessions.
- Energy Efficiency: Achieved a 35% peak reduction in freezer kWh consumption during testing. Furthermore, long-term monitoring confirmed a sustained 7.90% reduction in overall freezer energy usage across the five-month period. This targeted cooling efficiency also contributed to a whole site energy saving of 4.60%.
Demand Shifting
Successfully shifted refrigeration plant operation away from premium daytime tariffs. This proactive load management reduced peak demand by 17.43%, bringing the maximum power draw down from 109 kW to the target threshold of 90 kW.
Prior to installation, the facility experienced severe daytime power spikes, with peak demand exceeding 43 kW. By charging the GlacierCore™ thermal battery overnight, the primary refrigeration load was successfully shifted away from premium daytime tariffs. This flattened the overall energy profile and maintained a highly stable, reduced power draw of approximately 32 kW throughout the most expensive operational hours. The daily load profile below illustrates the dramatic load-shifting capability of the Glacier Storage Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system.
Product Protection
Delivered an exceptional 48% improvement in temperature consistency within the frozen store. By absorbing infiltrated heat, the GlacierCore™ modules provided a massive thermal buffer, significantly lowering the temperature standard deviation.
Conclusion
The West Midlands installation perfectly demonstrates how Glacier Storage Solutions TES can effectively decrease energy demand and drastically lower operational costs, whilst significantly improving temperature stability. The facility successfully protected its bottom line while achieving a remarkable payback period of just 1.5 years.
