The IceBrick System could reduce the hotels' energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions
LOS ANGELES and IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) today announced the successful installation of an innovative energy savings solution at the Beverly Hilton and Waldorf Astoria hotels, that helps reduce the need for air conditioning during peak electric demand, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and costs. Nostromo Energy's IceBrick system will receive incentives from the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), which is administered by SoCalGas. 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.
SoCalGas is among the first and largest natural gas utilities in the United States to announce its aim to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The company was awarded the top "Business Transformation Award" at Reuters Events' 2022 Responsible Business Awards for having established truly transformative sustainability priorities with the potential to create impact at scale in the energy sector and beyond.
To learn more about the SGIP program click here. For access to other SoCalGas customer savings programs and incentives click here.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to over 21 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. We believe gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.
SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy infrastructure company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to replace 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy infrastructure company based in San Diego.
For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
About Nostromo Energy
Nostromo Energy's ice-based energy storage solution is redefining energy storage for commercial and industrial buildings, helping them become sustainable energy storage assets, and reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. The Nostromo IceBrickⓇ system uses ice to store energy when electricity prices are low and renewable energy is abundant, and discharge the energy to avoid purchasing electricity that is carbon intensive and expensive. In this way, Nostromo helps accelerate the renewable revolution and paves the way to a carbon free electric grid, while offering a safe, clean and financially beneficial system to building owners. The IceBrickⓇ is non-flammable, modular and compact, easily retrofitted to existing commercial and industrial buildings. To learn more about Nostromo, visit www.nostromo.energy.
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These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that the company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on Sempra's website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements.
Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company or Southern California Gas Company, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.
SOURCE Southern California Gas Company