Solar Cooling and Air-Conditioning

Context and Overview

Dr. Tomas Núñez

Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems
Dep. Thermal Systems and Buildings

SOLATERM Expert Mission

ANME – Tunis – Tunisia
Dec. 2nd-4th, 2008

Buildings and Climate –

Climate conscious design

hot and arid

sun protection
ventilation

cool and humid

thermal insulation
rain protection
Buildings and Climate

And today ?

Î we need
appropriate concepts
for modern office
buildings consuming
tremendous amounts
of energy to achieve
indoor comfort

Lack of resources

California , 2001
CO2 emissions

Source: Energy policies of IEA countries – Italy review 2003

Situation of the market of conventional cooling (RAC/PAC)

worldwide in 2006 (units : million)

Europe 6.4

Middle East
2.5 India 1.5

Central/South East Asia 6.5

America
Africa 0.8
2.5

Australia 0.8

Source: Japan Air conditioning Journal

 Perspectives in EU
for cooled building areas

3000

2500
(m²) [m²]
areaFläche

2000

1500
Gekühlte
Cooled

1000
Growth in double
500 figures !

0
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
+12,7% p.A. Artikel „Solare Kühlung – Klima mit Zukunft“,
IKZ-FACHPLANER · Heft 8 /9 /2006
Source: EERAC und EECCAC

Perspectives in EU
for room cooling energy demand

Hotels

Industry

Office

Houses

Source: EERAC 1998

 Peak load issues
Example from Japan
Last blackouts
due to overload of the
electric grid :

14.8.2003: North East USA/Kanada

12.7.2004: Athens
…

Source: TEPCO

Perspectives in the world

for electricity demand

Water and others

Nuclear
Gas
Oil CO2
Coal

Source: IEA WEO 2002

 KYOTO- Target
Emissions targets of the main European countries
102%

100%

98%

96%

94%
- 8%
92%

90%

88%
1990 2008/2012
EU-15*, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Monaco, Romania,Slovakia,Slovenia, Switzerland

Source: UNFCC

Energy price in Italy

Energy price, 2001

Italy Average OECD - Europe

Fuel for industry Fuel for residential Diesel for cars Diesel for cars Unleaded petrol Electricity for Electricity for
and from petrol and from petrol Commercial Non commercial Premium industrial use residential use
Derivatives Derivatives use use
(light fuel) (light fuel)

Source: Energy policies of IEA countries – Italy review 2003-2004

 Air conditioning world market (2004)

„ Worldwide market of stationary air

conditioning systems around 39
Indoor packaged
billions US$ in 2004. Forecast 56
Chillers + moveable
billions US$ 2008) 7%
12%
„ Bigger in Asia & USA, Europe
fraction around 12 %
Rooftop +
„ Dominated by RAC, more than multisplit
half of the market, leader of the 20%
market in China & Asia
„ Big growth of the European
market : France doubled the sales Mini-Split
from 2003 with nearly 600.000 49%
units. Window-Unit
„ Around 12 % machines producing 12%
chilled water (number not
including centralized AHU)
Source: POLIMI

... the world market 2005

(room air conditioners - RAC units)
50 Japan

Asia (excl.
RAC unit sales (in Mio. units)

40 Japan)

Middle East

30
Europe

North America
20

Central & South

America
10
Africa

Oceania
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Source : F. Butera: The use of environmental energies for

sustainable building in Mediterranean climates; Intelligent
Building Middle East, Bahrain, December 2005
... the world market (2005). Installed capacity
per year and for RAC.
300 Japan

total installed electric capacity in GW

250 Asia (excl.
Japan)

Middle East
200
Europe
150
North America

100
Central & South
America

50 Africa

Oceania
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Source : F. Butera: The use of environmental energies for

sustainable building in Mediterranean climates; Intelligent
Building Middle East, Bahrain, December 2005

Early experience

World exhibition
1878 in Paris:
On September 29,
Augustin Mouchot
produces the first ice
block with solar
energy using a
periodical absorption
machine of Edmund
Carré

Mouchot, Augustin:
La chaleur Solaire et ses
Applications Industrielles
(German translation,
published at Olynthus, 1987)
Solar thermally driven air conditioning - general scheme

chilled
water

Thermal
driven cooling
heat
process

conditioned
air

Classification
solar radiation

electric process thermal process

photovoltaic panel solar thermal collector

vapour compression heat transformation thermo-mechanical

cycle process process

open cycles closed cycles Rankine-cycle /

vapour compression

steam jet cycle

liquid sorbent liquid sorbent

Vuilleumier cycle
counterflow absorber water /
lithium-bromide

solid sorbent ammonia /

water
commercially
commercially dehumidifier rotor solid sorbent
available
available
fix bed process adsorption (e.g.
tested water / silica gel)
testedininpilot
pilot
installations
installations dry absorption
(e.g. ammonia / salt)
 Chilled water & Conditioned Air
16 - 19°C
Cooling technology:
central
chilled ceiling closed cycle water chillers
air handling unit
supply air ¾ Absorption (Li-Br; NH3-H2O)
15 - 18°C
(< 12°C)
¾ Adsorption
fan coil
6 - 12°C
conditioned
chilled water area
supply temperatures

> 50°C

Cooling technology:
return air
open cycle desiccant cooling desiccant
¾ Desiccant wheels
cooling system

supply air
¾ Liquid sorption
conditioned
area

Absorption chillers
„ Market available technology mainly applied in
combination with district heat or heat from co-
generation
„ many products available in the range of high
capacities (typically > 200 kW up to some MW);
only very view machines in the small capacity range
(< 100 kW)
„ manufacturers mainly from US and Asia ( (Japan,
Korea, China, India)
„ COP at design conditions approximately 0.7 (single-
effect) and 1.1 (double-effect)
„ driving temperatures > 85°C (single-effect) and
>150°C (double-effect)
„ cost depends on capacity: > 250 €/kW (without
cooling tower)
 Adsorption chillers
„ Periodic operation with silica
gel (sorbent) and water
(refrigerant)
„ two manufacturers world-
wide : Nishyodo and
Mayekawa (both from
Japan)
„ cooling capacities in the
range of 70 kW up to 400
kW
„ driving temperatures down
to 55°C may be used
„ COP at design conditions
0.65 (manufacturer value)
„ cost about 500-700 €/kW
(without cooling tower)

Open cycles - desiccant cooling

„ Components and overall systems are market available and practically applied since many years
„ about 6 manufacturers of sorption wheels world-wide (Japan, USA, Sweden, Germany, India)
„ alternatively: periodic system with fix bed dehumidifier
„ driving temperatures down to 45°C usable
„ adiabatic dehumidification process in sorption rotors; cooled dehumidification in fix bed processes
Menerga desiccant AHU design

Indirect evaporative solution HXs

cooling cooling heating regenerator

return
exhaust

supply external

water pump solution pump absorber

Desiccant systems

ƒ Air handling units using heat driven air dehumidification

System using desiccant wheel System using liquid desiccant

Small thermally driven water chillers – new products
entering the market

SK SonnenKlima GmbH
EAW

Concentrating collectors + air cooled water-ammonia

chiller

Single stage ammonia-water Ice cold

Fresnel concentrating collector
Temperature: up to 200°C
PSE GmbH (Germany)
air-cooled absorption chiller storage, 0°C
13,3kW, COP=0,65 (TEXT 30°C)
suitable for ice cold storage
ROBUR (Italy)
Fan-coil system – double-effect absorption chiller
fan
coils

backup
heater

buffer
storage absorpt.
chiller

Cooling vs. collector technology

Temperature needs

„ Desiccant systems: 50 – 80°C Glasabdeckung

¾ Solar air collectors, flat plate collectors Isolierung

Absorber mit
Kollektorrahmen

Luftkanälen

„ Adsorption: 65 – 85°C
¾ Flat plate collectors, evacuated tubes Glasabdeckung

Isolierung Kollektorrahmen
Absorber mit
Fluidkanälen

„ Single-effect absorption (comfort air-

conditioning): 70 – 100°C
¾ Flat plate collectors, evacuated tubes, Glasabdeckung Folie

optical concentration without tracking Isolierung

Reflektor Kollektorrahmen
Absorber mit
Fluidkanal

„ Double-effect absorption: 130-160°C

¾ High efficient evacuated tubes, optical
concentration with tracking
The design-path of a solar cooling system

accuracy, detailing results, adaptation of individual solutions

growing grade of specific information required

Status in Europe

8.7%
„ Approx. 120
installations Germany
Greece
„ Approx. 20 MWcold
Spain
installed 27.5%
Portugal
39.1%
„ Specific collector area Italy
Austria
¾ 3 m2/kWcold for France
chilled water Netherlands
production Israel
¾ 10 m2 per 1000 m3/h Turkey
Serbia (Kosovo)
for sorptive air 4.3%
handling units 4.3% (2004-values)
1.4%
2.9%
5.8%
1.4%
1.4% 2.9%
 Example - 1

„ Largest system world-wide

„ 2700 m2 collector area
„ 2 adsorption chillers with 350 kW chilling power each
„ 3 compression chillers with 350 kW power each
„ air-conditioning of a production hall of a cosmetics
factory
„ Location: Inofita Viotias (ca. 50 km northeast of
Athens)

Cost distribution of the system in Greece

Unterbau für
sonstiges Kollektoren
Adsorptions-
6% 5%
kältemaschinen
Solarkollektoren 20%
28%

Rückkühlwerke
6%

Regelung, Öl befeuerte
Monitoring Kessel
5% Installations- als Back-Up
kosten 10%
20%
 Example - 2

„ Location: Freiburg (Germany)

„ Owner: Chamber of industry and commerce (IHK)
„Südlicher Oberrhein“
„ System description: desiccant cooling system
(10200 m3/h) operated by 100 m2 solar air
collectors
„ Application: air-conditioning of a seminar room
and cafeteria in the top floor of the building
„ Special characteristic: no back-up, no storage, i.e.
solar thermal autonomous system

Example - 3

„ Location: Dalaman (Turkey, Mediteraneean coast)

„ Owner: Iberotel Sarigermepark
„ System description: 2-stage absorption chiller (COP
1.2 - 1.5) with parabolic trough collector system
(180 m2); operation temperature 180°C
„ Application: air-conditioning of a hotel and supply
of steam for the washing plant
„ special characteristics: first system with a 2-stage
absorption chiller and tracking collectors
 Example - 4

„ European Academy EURAC, Bolzano, Italy

„ Air-conditioning of Academy building
area
„ Heat production:
- 480 m² vacuum tube collectors
- co-generation 330 kWth
- condensation boilers
„ Cold production:
- absorption chiller 300 kW
- compression chiller 630 kW
„ Heat storage 10 m³
„ Cold storage 5 m³
„ In operation since 2005

International Co-operation

IEA-SHC Task 25
June 1999 – Nov. 2004
Main outputs:
ƒ Handbook for planners
ƒ Design Tool SOLAC
ƒ Demonstration plants

Task 38
Solar Air -Conditioning
and Refr iger ation

ƒ March 2007 – Feb. 2011

ƒ Participation of 12 countries and over 80 experts
ƒ Regular expert meetings every 6 month
Summary

„ several technologies are market available for using solar thermal energy for air-
conditioning of (large) buildings

„ only comparatively few systems realised until today - the technology is still in status
of early development; standardisation is necessary!

„ in most cases solar assisted cooling is today not economically viable without
funding, but shows a large potential in primary energy saving

„ near future: thermally driven cooling equipment in the small power range (< 20
kW) ==> new market segments accessible (e.g. solar combi-systems with cooling)

„ optimal use of solar thermal energy by combination of solar assisted cooling, solar
assisted heating and solar assisted domestic hot water production

„ large international co-operation within the IEA-SHC Program (finished Task 25 and
ongoing Task 38)

… thank you for your attention!