On a larger scale something like this has been proposed (or maybe even already implemented somewhere?) as an economical way to deal with variable renewable energy (wind, solar); when VRE is plentiful and cheap, giant industrial refrigerated warehouses cool down a few degrees, and conversely when VRE is scarce and expensive, let it heat up a few degrees.
http://www.axiomexergy.com -- they build "ice-batteries" where they create ice at night when it's cool and electricity is off-peak, then use that ice to cool industrial refrigerators (supermarkets, cold storage facilities, etc) during the day.
