Task 38

This technical report is a deliverable of Task 38, Subtask C within the framework of the International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating and Cooling Programme. It describes both existing and developing simulation tools and models used for solar cooling applications.

This position paper is a deliverable of the Task 38 “Solar Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration” of the IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme. It describes the application of active solar heating and cooling technologies within the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system of buildings in the context of increasing energy efficiency requirements.

According to Dr Uli Jakob, Vice President of the “Green Chiller - Association for Sorption Cooling”, the solar cooling sector may soon experience a shift from small series production of a niche market to considerable manufacturing quantities. Jakob points out two signs supporting such a development: First, the approval of the IEA-SHC task 48, “Quality Assurance and Support Measures for Solar Cooling“; second, the recent market entry of big players, such as Stiebel Eltron (Germany) and Hitachi (Japan).
Photo: Bärbel Epp

The 2nd Workshop for Solar Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration, taking place in Las Vegas on 2 February, will bring together top experts from Europe and North America - among them Christian Holter, SOLID (Austria), Steve Hunter, Vanir Energy (California/US), Daniel Mugnier, TECSOL (France), and Tom Lopp, Power Partners, Athens (Georgia/US).

Can a solar cooling system be integrated in my building or my industrial processes? Answering this question with a simple Yes or No is not as easy as it seems. If a solar cooling system turns out to be a feasible investment largely depends on the parameters of the existing heating and cooling system, required temperatures, cooling times, and regional fossil fuel and electricity prices. To see if a solar cooling installation will be a good choice, French engineering company Tecsol is now offering a free-of-charge, online check list on its website: http://www.tecsol.fr/checklist/

“A coordinated effort is needed to develop the solar thermal market in North America,” Lucio Mesquita, Head of Thermosol Consulting in Canada, said during his presentation about “Solar Cooling in North America” at the Intersolar North America in San Francisco in July.
Photo: Thermosol Consulting

One of the successful show cases of solar cooling applications in France: The vinery in Banyuls, in the south of France, where 130 m² of vacuum tube collectors supply an absorption chiller with 52 kW cooling capacity since 1991.
Photo: Tecsol