The research, development and demonstration projects that Anaheim Public Utilities sets into motion provide a way to advance science and technology when adequate incentives are not provided by the marketplace, with a specific focus on energy programs that might benefit customers. The objectives of such RD&D projects may include:

• Advancement of renewable energy technologies
• Environmentally-preferred advanced generation
• Energy-related environmental enhancements
• End-use energy efficiency
• Strategic energy research
• Electric service reliability or enhancement

Small-Scale Thermal Energy Storage

Anaheim Public Utilities, in partnership with Ice Energy, LLC, installed and completed testing of a small-scale, direct exchange, thermal energy storage system for package and split-system ACs to provide cooling. Installed in September 2004 at one of the city’s fire stations, it is the first such installation by ay utilty in the state of California. A relatively simple add-on for package or split-system AC, this unit uses a cooling tank to make and store ice during the late evening, night and morning hours, when consumer demand and the cost to generate and transmit electricity is typically lower. During the mid-afternoon hours when summer electric demands peak and the cost of electricity is typically the highest, the system uses the ice to cool the refrigerant and provide cooling for the facility. The unit provides about 50 ton-hours of cooling when used in conjunction with typical small, commercial air conditioning systems sized in the 5- to 10-ton range.

Preliminary results have indicated that the Ice Bear will reduce demand during peak hours by 95 percent - from approximately 7,000 watts to 300 watts for operation of only small pumps to move refrigerant through the system. The Ice Bear uses slightly less energy in a 24-hour period because the condensing unit operates more efficiently during evening, night and early morning hours when temperatures are lower, resulting in energy savings averaging approximately 5 percent. Testing of the Anaheim installation is complete and the City has implemented a program to encourage installation of the units by smaller Anaheim businesses.

Anaheim received a grant from the American Public Power Association’s DEED program to share the results of this test with APPA member agencies, which include other municipal electric systems throughout the United States. Click here for a PDF of Anaheim Public Utilities' final DEED report.  

 Fuel Cell

Anaheim Public Utilities has installed the first fuel cell on its system at the City of Anaheim Police Department East Station in Anaheim Hills. This demonstration project will help the utility gain experience in operating and maintaining a fuel cell power generator. Under the project goals, Anaheim Public Utilities will evaluate fuel cell performance and how fuel cells will fit into the Electric System’s generation mix. The project is funded in part by the Department of Energy.

A fuel cell is a power generator in the form of an electrochemical device. Unlike batteries, which also are electrochemical devices, fuel cells do not store the “fuel” used in the electrochemical generation process. Instead, fuel is fed into the unit at a constant rate of flow, producing electricity, with water and heat as by-products.

The fuel cell installed by Anaheim Public Utilities is a 200 kW unit developed by UTC Fuel Cells. The system’s components include a reformer, a fuel cell stack and a power conditioning system. The generation process takes place without moving parts or combustion and, as a result, produces very few harmful air emissions. The system runs continuously and generates enough electricity to power 250 Anaheim homes annually. It provides electricity for the facility and exports additional power to the electric grid. The waste heat from the fuel cell is captured and used by the Police facility for space heating. This mode of operation is called “co-generation” and increases the overall efficiency of the fuel cell to about 80 percent.