Design, installation and optimization of two small scale solar heating and cooling systems

Kurzfassung

Cooling demand is rapidly increasing worldwide [1]; the combination of solar thermal energy with thermally driven chillers has the potential to replace conventional electric driven compression chillers. Large scale Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) systems have been successfully demonstrated; smaller systems have not yet entered the market due to various technical and economic reasons. Automated and autonomous package-solutions could facilitate their market entry. The main aim of the FP7 project ALONE is to conceive and manufacture prototypes of market-ready autonomous SHC systems for residential or light commercial applications (small size systems, 5-13 kW of cooling capacity). After manufacturing two prototypes, they were installed at test sites in Bolzano and Firenze (Italy).