Comparison of a Solar Driven Absorption Chiller and Photovoltaic Compression Chiller Under Different Demand Profiles: Technological, Environmental and Economic Performance

Juan José Roncal-Casano, Javier Rodríguez-Martín, Paolo Taddeo, Javier Muñoz-Antón () and Alberto Abánades-Velasco
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Juan José Roncal-Casano: Energy Engineering Department, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Javier Rodríguez-Martín: Energy Engineering Department, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Paolo Taddeo: Thermal Energy and Building Performance Group, Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), 08930 Sant Adrià de Besòs, Spain
Javier Muñoz-Antón: Energy Engineering Department, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Alberto Abánades-Velasco: Energy Engineering Department, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-18

Abstract: HVAC systems are becoming increasingly important around the world due to the increasing need for climatization in recent years. While district heating systems have been used for a long time, district cooling systems tend to be something that is only reserved for large buildings, making decentralized cooling flourish, shaping the idea of considering it as the first choice when it comes to cooling devices, disregarding the efficiency of larger systems. This article compares two technologies for district energy solutions. One option features single-stage absorption chillers using solar thermal technologies (Fresnel collectors) for heat, while the other uses high-efficiency compression chillers with photovoltaic technologies. Parametric studies were used to determine system sizes and considerations were taken to perform such as comparison. This paper concludes that compression chillers are the better option for cooling systems with variable demand while absorption chillers are a good choice for systems with constant demand, like data centers, especially when there is a high-temperature heat source available.

Keywords: district cooling; solar energy; absorption chiller; compresion chiller; TRNSYS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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