Solar Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning

Solar Energy can be used for producing cold either for cooling of buildings (generally known as air-conditioning) or for refrigeration required for preserving food. Solar cooling appears to be an attractive proposition due to the fact that when the cooling demand is more the sunshine is strongest. This, alongwith the necessity for providing thermal comfort for people in hot areas of the world, and for providing food preservation, may be the motivating factors in continuing research and development in the field of solar cooling systems. Although considerable work on solar cooling system has been done for the last three decades, due to its complexity, both in concept and in construction, the utilization and commercialisation of solar cooling is not as widespread as other solar energy applications like solar water heating and solar space heating. However, if solar cooling of buildings is combined with the solar heating then the combined solar cooling and heating systems can become economical.