Western Europe Black Technology Solar Air Conditioner

What is SACE (solar air conditioning in Europe)?

The SACE (Solar Air Conditioning in Europe) project was initiated in early 2002 and conducted over the next 2 years by a group of researchers from five countries, supported by the European Commission.

Can solar thermal air conditioning reduce the footprint of solar-thermal air conditioning system?

New development activities are necessary in order to promote market integration and to reduce the cost of using solar-thermal air conditioning in buildings. Such new systems will be a future option for sunny climates zone. The aim of this project was reducing the footprint of solar thermal air conditioning system.

How to improve the performance of solar thermal air conditioning system?

In order to reduce the footprint and increase the performance of solar thermal air conditioning system, small scale and highly efficient sub-system components are considered for the design.

Which heat source is best for cooling systems based on thermal energy?

Cooling systems based on thermal energy generally have solar energy as the most widely available heat source for solar thermal driven cooling applications where a low temperature (below 200 °C) and/or cost efficient heat source is available. Industrial processes also produce waste heat that can be an alternative to the solar energy.

Can solar thermal cooling be used in small scale air conditioning systems?

Currently, some studies on solar assisted air conditioning systems have been applied to provide small scale solar thermal cooling applications. One of them is a chiller based on the steam jet cycle which is modified into small size units (20–200 kW cooling power) to be combined with solar thermal technologies.

Will solar-thermal cooling system be a future option for sunny climates zone?

Probably, thermally driven chillers and desiccant cooling system will play a key role in approaching economic feasibility. New development activities are necessary in order to promote market integration and to reduce the cost of using solar-thermal air conditioning in buildings. Such new systems will be a future option for sunny climates zone.