District Cooling Systemwith Solar based Vapor Absorption Chiller: A Techno-economic Case Study

Abstract

A solar-based vapour absorption machine (VAM) chiller-based district cooling system (DCS) has been designed and its financials have been worked out in the context of a high-rise 80 apartment tower. Comparisons have been made with a vapour compression refrigeration (VCR) based DCS, and with the existing system of 3 unitary split air conditioning units per apartment. The solar VAM DCS carbon footprint is 75% and 78 % smaller than VCR DCS and unitary system. While the capital cost is 58 % larger than VCR DCS, the operating costs are 63 % lower. The VAM-based DCS, though practically complex, has the potential for substantial carbon savings which is needed to slow down carbon emissions.