Is it a dream to have air conditioning with solar panels? Cooling needs are most necessary in full sun, ... but this solar energy could not be used to cool using solar panels?
Solar energy can be harnessed through photovoltaic panels that produce electricity or solar thermal energy collectors that produce hot water.
Air Conditioning connected to photovoltaic panels:, for now itis not feasible
Traditional air conditioning today needs an electric compressor to operate. We can imagine being able to electrically power this compressor through photovoltaic panels. Currently it could not be because the cooling capacities needed today are too important and the surface of the available photovoltaic cells would be too large and too expensive. However, with the imminent arrival of the low-consumption building, there is a tendency towards a construction that will be very well thermally insulated, with good sun protection and with a natural inertia that will provide more pleasant summers. Then, the cooling powers to be applied in the future will be increasingly lower for various reasons: construction insulation, energy-saving lighting, category A appliances, ...
Solar Air Conditioning by Absorption: the solution currently under development
In contrast to conventional electric air conditioning by means of a compressor, refrigeration is not produced by the electric compression of a Freon-type refrigerant (with harmful greenhouse gas emissions), but by the thermal compression of two liquids: the refrigerant liquid and a substance that absorbs the refrigerant: the absorbent.
Specifically, water is used as a coolant and lithium bromide as an absorbent. The ammonia/water duo can also be used. In this operation only the consumption of the pump is taken into account to execute the mixture.
This type of air conditioning requires a heat source for hot water, usually gas. This technique of air conditioning by means of gas is well known in countries where electricity is expensive and scarce, it is neither more nor less than the good and old technique of the camping fridge (used in motorhomes). To this effect, the heat source provided by solar thermal panels is very timely, especially when the sun squeezes to the maximum and the cooling needs as well. These are the air conditioners or refrigeration units by absorption. Cooling can be obtained with cooled water around 7 ° C, approximately. A heat source is needed to operate with this type of air conditioner. Solar collectors can provide water at a temperature between 80 and 120 ° C.
This type of group of absorption machines today represent the majority of solar air conditioning systems. There are other techniques such as absorption or evaporation, but today they are not suitable for intensive use in the residential and tertiary sectors.
Solar air conditioning by absorption usually works with gas as a support energy
Its electricity consumption is 20 times lower than that of air conditioning by compressorThe refrigerant fluid is not harmful since it is water and absorption is a natural state, without environmental impactThere is no vibration or noise pollution of the compressorAlthough the solar cover covers more than 80% of the needs, it is nevertheless necessary to reinforce or support, either with a gas equipment or by means of an electric heat pump.
The machines on the market still offer powers greater than 35 kilowatts, however, small capacity groups are emerging: 4.5 kilowatts
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Authors: Javier Gainza
