Solar Cooling

The need for air-conditioned spaces is growing strongly in the world. The pattern of use of HVAC systems reaches its peak in summer, so it is not surprising that the boundaries of ability of electricity networks are not far from being overwhelmed by summer peak demands primarily due to air conditioning loads.

Unlike solar heating, where the demand is highest in winter which coincides with low insolation, cooling demand coincides with high insolation periods.  It is possible to use solar heat from solar thermal collectors for the cooling of air for HVAC or industrial processes.  This is done by using an absorption chiller which includes an array of solar thermal collectors to capture the sun’s energy, a hot water tank for thermal storage and a control system.  The chiller will produce chilled water for circulation in a building’s cooling system or for use in an industrial process.

 

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