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October 8, 2025
Buildings are turning to ‘ice batteries’ for sustainable air conditioning
By ISABELLA O’MALLEY
Associated Press
Kentucky’s Norton Audubon Hospital estimates its ice battery system and other energy-saving measures have saved it nearly $4 million since 2016.
Every night some 74,000 gallons of water are frozen at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The hospital used to get all of its air conditioning from a conventional system found in most U.S. buildings, but now 27 tanks of ice sustain a network of cold-water pipes keeping operating rooms at safe temperatures and patients comfortable.
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