thermal storage systems are used in large air conditioning facilities

With the increasing cost of electricity and because the sources of hydroelectric generation, our main energy resource, are running out and more distant from consumption centers, it began to deploy in the country a differentiated tariff in peak hours energy consumption. This measure aims at a better utilization of the capacity of the plants that have operated in virtually generation limit in peak and idle times in other periods. Currently the electric utilities practice a higher pricing in just three hours a day, but the example of other countries, this period is likely to be extended. In a building, the air conditioning system is one of the responsible for the consumption of electricity and proper design can greatly reduce the electricity bill at the end of the month. The heat accumulation does not lead to lower power consumption. The reduction in electricity cost is achieved by reducing the power substation and due to a transfer in cold production schedule, peak hours, where pricing is higher, producing and storing cold night when the power is cheapest. Another factor that favors the use of heat accumulation is the fact that it provide a reduction in installed capacity. The heat load required in most air conditioning systems is variable, due to the fact also is variable insolation load and own occupation environments. In a conventional air conditioning system capacity has to be based on the largest heat load time, which consequently causes the equipment becomes oversized and idle most of the time. In the heat accumulation can scale equipment with a capacity to capacity at peak times, the difference completed by burning the accumulated thermal energy at another time. With this, it is achieved with lower power facilities and, consequently, smaller substations and low demand contracted electricity.