East Asia Solar Air Conditioning

This work aims to evaluate the application potential of a solar adsorption cooling (SADC) system based on a novel aluminophosphate adsorbent in various climatic zones of China through TRNSYS simulation. For a comprehensive evaluation, solar absorption cooling (SABC) and vapor compression cooling systems are selected as reference systems.

The need for cooling is expected to increase dramatically as Southeast Asia's economy grows faster and temperatures continue to rise. In an effort to achieve thermal comfort, which is believed to improve well-being and productivity and, consequently, overall quality of life, more and more buildings are installing air conditioners.

Singh and Das [23 – 26] investigated the potential application and operational strategies of solar energy in the field of building air-conditioning systems, the findings revealed that the incorporation of solar energy can substantially decrease the energy consumption of air-conditioning systems while enhancing their economic viability.

According to the ASEAN Centre for Energy's 8th ASEAN Energy Outlook, air conditioning alone is expected to consume over 29.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) of energy by 2050, or almost 40% of the energy required by the region's commercial sector.

Despite its deep roots in local culture, passive cooling is still underutilised in modern Southeast Asian architecture. Although recent trends have brought sustainable designs forward, the affordability and convenience of air conditioning remain powerful incentives.

In recent decades, the research and application of solar refrigeration technology have grown rapidly, particularly in solar absorption cooling (SABC) system, which occupies the major market share . However, absorption cooling (ABC) system faces a series of issues such as crystallization and equipment corrosion under certain operating conditions.