CSIRO says it is possible to achieve significant greenhouse gas savings by powering air conditioning with solar energy.
The CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship has developed the concept of ‘solar cooling’ which uses heat from solar thermal collectors to generate cooling for buildings.
Conventional air conditioners use electricity to compress a refrigerant in order to cool a building. Solar cooling technology directly uses the natural heat from the sun, through a thermally-driven cooling process.
The new technology uses a desiccant to dehumidify and cool air, promising to be simpler and more cost-effective.
Solar cooling can reduce peak demand on the electricity grid, and is a step forward to zero-emissions buildings.
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