ShareAustralia’s solar cooling potential
Stephen White, Chair of ausSCIG, predicts that more and more innovative solutions will be developed in the solar cooling field in Australia.
In an interview published in EcoGeneration, Dr Stephen White, Chair of the Australian Solar Cooling Interest Group (ausSCIG) and Energy for Buildings Manager at CSIRO’s Energy Transformed Flagship, predicts that more and more innovative solutions will be developed in the solar cooling field in Australia.
Stephen White highlights that although there are approximately 1000 solar cooling installations in operation around the world, solar cooling technology is in its infancy in Australia.
There are half a dozen or so solar cooling installations in Australia and one or two per year being installed. The most common form of solar air conditioning at the moment is that using flat-plate solar collectors connected to absorption chillers, which is suitable for Northern European climates, where radiant panels or chilled beams and ceilings are used. However, such solutions are unlikely to be the most suitable for Australia, where typically evacuation tubes are used to run absorption chillers. CSIRO is investigating a desiccant air-conditioning system that can run off low-temperature heat from flat-plate solar thermal collectors.
European nations such as Spain, France, Germany and Austria have demonstrated the greatest interest in solar cooling and the highest number of installations to date.
CSIRO is developing a three-in-one residential solar thermal system. The system will use solar hot water (conventional residential solar hot water panels and the resulting solar heat) to provide heating in winter, and a desiccant cooling process for solar cooling in summer.
An Australian solar cooling standard is also envisaged.
Read the full interview.
Stephen White highlights that although there are approximately 1000 solar cooling installations in operation around the world, solar cooling technology is in its infancy in Australia.
There are half a dozen or so solar cooling installations in Australia and one or two per year being installed. The most common form of solar air conditioning at the moment is that using flat-plate solar collectors connected to absorption chillers, which is suitable for Northern European climates, where radiant panels or chilled beams and ceilings are used. However, such solutions are unlikely to be the most suitable for Australia, where typically evacuation tubes are used to run absorption chillers. CSIRO is investigating a desiccant air-conditioning system that can run off low-temperature heat from flat-plate solar thermal collectors.
European nations such as Spain, France, Germany and Austria have demonstrated the greatest interest in solar cooling and the highest number of installations to date.
CSIRO is developing a three-in-one residential solar thermal system. The system will use solar hot water (conventional residential solar hot water panels and the resulting solar heat) to provide heating in winter, and a desiccant cooling process for solar cooling in summer.
An Australian solar cooling standard is also envisaged.
Read the full interview.