SoCalGas assisted Nostromo Energy in applying for the incentive funding and in the project's technical development. The SGIP program now includes Large Thermal Energy Storage Systems, with Nostromo Energy's system being the first approved for participation under this category.
"SoCalGas supports a variety of innovations aimed at bolstering the strength and resilience of our energy grid," said Don Widjaja, Vice President of Customer Solutions at SoCalGas. "The IceBrick system serves as a prime example, as it not only helps advance California's climate goals, but helps address the challenges of electricity demand fluctuations throughout the day. Through collaboration with various industry stakeholders, we're supporting diverse solutions with the goal to obtain a more reliable, resilient, and sustainable energy future."
Nostromo Energy's technology uses electricity from the grid during off-peak hours – a time when the grid relies more on renewable sources like solar and wind – to convert water into ice. This "cold energy" is stored in modular cells and is later released during peak demand hours. This method can cool the building's air conditioning system without relying on power-intensive chillers.
"We're thrilled to work with SoCalGas and the Self Generation Incentive Program. Our IceBrick technology is a breakthrough – buildings can be retrofitted to store and discharge megawatt hours of electricity, cutting cooling costs during peak hours and providing critically-needed demand flexibility to the power grid," said Boaz Ur, Nostromo's Chief Business Development Officer. "Using Nostromo's technology, utilities can continue to work with their largest commercial and industrial customers to save on energy costs, reduce carbon emissions, and gain resilience."
SGIP is designed to incentivize generation and storage technologies, including projects fueled by renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen, which aim to reduce greenhouse gases, increase grid reliability, and provide customer bill savings and resiliency during electric grid-outage events.
Since its inception, SoCalGas has supported nearly 4,000 projects that have applied for more than $300 million in incentives. These types of energy storage and cleaner fuel-powered technologies highlight the diverse solutions available to decarbonize customer end-uses.
In line with these efforts, SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs have also generated over $1 billion in avoided energy costs and have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of removing more than 250,000 cars annually.
