How Solar Cooling Works

Practical Experience

Based on a recent European study, the

(i) solar heat collection and
(ii) cooling process steps

account for around 50% of the cost of a solar cooling installation.  Auxiliary equipment, control and other integration costs account for the remainder.

Typical energy savings from a solar cooling system are around 25% although savings promised at the preliminary design stages have sometimes been eroded by, inter alia, neglected parasitic energy consumption and insufficient attention to part load operation in the control scheme.

Given the maturity of the technology, expert assistance should be obtained to ensure that all the options have been considered and risks have been fully identified.