Solar Cooling

Generating cold from hot water

Large buildings, especially in sunbelt countries, have significant space cooling demands and also demands for cooling e.g. of server rooms. Solar thermal systems can help to cover these cooling demands very efficiently by use of absorption chiller machines. The shading of roofs by the large scale solar thermal collectors is an additional benefit as this avoids partly heating of the building.

Solar irradiation and cooling demand match perfectly

Solar thermal cooling benefits from high irradiation during the day and the heat for driving the chiller can even be stored for evening hours

Solar energy is a solution that provides promising opportunities. It can be used in virtually all buildings to operate the cooling circuits and therefore to air-condition rooms. The cooling load is usually provided if solar energy is available and therefore the cooling demand of a building is approximately equivalent to the solar radiation. Solar air-conditioning systems are usually operated with entirely non-hazardous operating liquids such as water or brine solutions.

Simplified scheme of solar cooling

Simplified scheme of solar cooling

 click to enlarge

More than just cooling

Solar cooling plants are also used for hot water preparation all year round and space heating in winter

The economics of any large scale solar thermal plant can be improved substantially by integrating hot water supply all year round. Solar Hot Water is the most efficient solar technology. One single solar thermal plant can deliver hot water both for driving an absorption chiller machine for cooling and for sanitary hot water preparation.

Success Stories

SOLID installed solar cooling energy systems around the globe. Here is a list of similar projects. Or you can click here to get back to our Success Story Overview.
Success Stories

AVL company

The solar plant at AVL is Central Europe’s largest solar thermal system for industrial heating ...

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling
  • Solar Hot Water & Heating
  • Solar Process Heat

CGD Lisbon

The solar thermal coolings system at CGD is the biggest one in Portugal

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling
  • Solar Hot Water & Heating

Digicel

When building its new offices in Kingston, Jamaica, the telecommunications operator Digicel wan...

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling

Desert Mountain High School

Solar cooling systems are durable solutions with a perfect match for the requirements of educat...

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling

Hospital Managua

The hospital in Managua has the largest solar thermal cooling system in Latin America

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling

Franziskus Hospital Harderberg

The perfect energy mix for hospitals: The solar thermal plant supports the energy supply of domestic hot water system, heating system, air-conditioning system (via absorption...

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling
  • Solar Hot Water & Heating
  • Solar District Heating

SZDLC Al Ain

TheSheikh Zayed Desert Learning Center (SZDLC) was realized as part of a a gigantic tourism project – a 400 hectare wildlife park and resort with hotels, theme ...

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling

IKEA Alexandra

At the end of 2017, IKEA Singapore and SOLID ASIA solemnly opened the large-scale solar cooling plant at the site of IKEA Alexandra. A total of about 380 t of CO2 em...

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling

United World College, Singapore

100% domestic hot water coverage and support of the existing air-conditioning system via SOLIDs solar thermal hot water and cooling system. The energy service is provided as ...

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling
  • Solar Hot Water & Heating

Solar cooling and hot water for the Olympics 2008

Olympics Sports Center Qingdao

The International Olympic Committee has made a strong commitment to be sustainable and to minimize the carbon emissions.

SOLID Products

  • Solar Cooling
  • Solar Hot Water & Heating
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