Owners of CWS systems report lower electric costs, less equipment to maintain, and lower overall operating costs than with their previous, conventional cooling systems.
Proponents say there are other important advantages as well.
A 1.5 million gallon storage tank can shift energy demand by 1.7 megawatts. Strong capital cost savings operational simplicity yield favorable life-cycle costs. Thermal storage systems use smaller HVAC equipment, lowering initial capital costs for distribution pumps, piping, fans and ducts. This reduction can, in some cases, be enough to offset storage tank costs. Storing large amounts of water on site is an asset for fire protection, enhanced in some CWS designs by incorporating sprinkler systems into the overall system.