Key Takeaways
- Thermal energy storage solutions let facilities create and store cooling capacity earlier, then use it later when production demand rises.
- Stored cooling can support dairy and industrial processes where cooling demand is high, repetitive or concentrated into peak periods.
- The system can work with solar generation or off-peak electricity by producing cooling when energy is more available or cheaper, then drawing on it later.
- Thermal storage can be integrated into new or existing chilled-water or glycol circuits, often without requiring a full system rebuild.
- We support thermal energy storage projects with equipment supply, fabrication, installation, commissioning, servicing and ongoing technical support.
You can consider thermal energy storage solutions as a facility that helps with cooling requirements. Barry Brown & Sons supplies, installs and integrates industrial thermal storage systems across Australian water and dairy operations. We can fabricate stainless steel components that align with your workflow.
Shift cooling capacity when your operation needs it.
Thermal energy storage solutions are useful where cooling demand is high, repetitive or concentrated into particular parts of the day.
In dairy operations, this can include rapid milk cooling after collection, chilled holding tanks and plate heat exchanger duties. Food manufacturers can use stored cooling around process vessels and chilled production stages, while industrial facilities can support other temperature-sensitive process loads.
Instead of producing every unit of cooling at the exact moment it’s required, the system creates and stores cooling capacity earlier. That reserve gets drawn on when production demand rises. Industrial energy storage of this kind means fewer pieces of refrigeration equipment running simultaneously.
Thermal storage technology creates particular value where a facility has solar generation.
Rather than exporting all surplus daytime electricity, part of that energy can be used to run the liquid cooling chiller and charge the thermal store while solar output is available.
The same thermal storage equipment even applies to off-peak electricity periods, as cooling can be produced when electricity demand or tariffs are lower and stored for later use. This option gives operators greater control over when refrigeration equipment consumes power, all without changing when the production process itself requires cooling.
Thermal energy storage works as part of the wider cooling process.
Energy storage technology lets chillers stay offline during peak tariff windows while maintaining reliable, consistent cooling performance across your operation. In line with this, the system suits both new installations and integration into existing cooling infrastructure.
When designing thermal energy storage solutions, we can also evaluate whether you need to buy industrial chiller equipment or use your existing setup as the primary unit responsible for removing heat from the circulating fluid before it enters the storage loop.
Retrofitting may involve connecting the storage tank, pumps, controls and pipework into an established glycol or chilled-water circuit. You don’t have to spend on a full system rebuild to gain the benefits of stored cooling capacity.
The process loop for energy storage technology is straightforward.
A water or glycol chiller removes heat from the circulating fluid. That chilled liquid moves through the storage system and into process equipment before returning through the loop to be cooled again. This heat energy storage cycle is fundamental to how the system shifts cooling capacity away from peak demand periods.
Water vs. propylene glycol in thermal energy storage solutions
Water chillers are suitable where operating temperatures remain safely above freezing, while propylene glycol chillers are for lower-temperature duties. Glycol lowers the freezing point of the circulating fluid, helping prevent ice from forming inside pipework, pumps and heat exchangers where freezing could restrict flow or damage components.
Where the system configuration allows, heat produced by the refrigeration process can also be recovered. This form of industrial heat recovery makes rejected heat available for hot-water requirements. Heat storage solutions like these extract additional value from energy already moving through the cooling system.
Turn to Barry Brown & Sons for your thermal storage needs.
With us, you work with a single team from equipment supply through to installation and commissioning.
That scope covers transport, positioning, lifting, refrigeration work, electrical connections, plumbing and integration with existing tanks or process equipment. One team across every stage reduces the number of separate contractors you need to coordinate with and cuts the risk of gaps between trades.
Whether you’re considering thermal energy storage solutions or other equipment like pasteuriser systems, we can also configure them around the requirements of your site rather than offer them as fixed packages.
Our fabrication capability means we can match tanks, pipework, valves, fittings, pumps and control arrangements to the layout, capacity and process conditions under which your facility actually operates
We can provide support even after installation.
When it comes to thermal energy storage systems for temperature control, our team provides servicing, maintenance, upgrades, spare parts and technical support Australia-wide.
After commissioning, we can provide support when pumps, chillers, controls or other system components need attention, or when the cooling arrangement needs to change as production requirements shift.
What’s more, we also offer Clean-In-Place (CIP) equipment that can simplify routine hygiene where compatible processing tanks form part of the wider system. Cleaning formulas circulate through suitable tanks and process pipework without repeatedly dismantling the main equipment.
For food and dairy operations running scheduled cleaning cycles, CIP solution makes planned hygiene tasks faster and more practical to carry out alongside normal production.