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Home cooling system endorsed
7/9/2004 14:01

Power authorities are promoting a new centralized cooling system in high-end residential complexes in an effort to save power during the day.
The system, called ice storage cooling, will use electricity to produce ice at night, which will melt in the day to cool down apartments without using power, officials said.
"In other words, it helps scatter power use and will relieve the grid during peak load hours," said Yang Jinde, an official with the Shanghai Energy Conservation Supervision Center.
The new cooling system has been tried in one high-end residential area on Wuyi Road, Changing District. According to the Shanghai Electric Power Co, it works well.
"Using it is up to the real estate developer," said Jiang Qian, vice manager with the company's marketing division. "All we can do is to promote its benefits."
The grid's peak load occurs mostly in the afternoon, when businesses and industrial production are in operation.
The demand, however, overruns supply in the summer as residents crank up air conditioners, which consume large amounts of power.
The massive use of air conditioners is blamed for the chronic power shortages in the city, as they gulp up to one third of total energy used in the hottest days, officials estimated.