As odd as this may sound, thermal powered air conditioning is a well established technology used for decades in air conditioning for office buildings, hotels, hospitals, and many other applications.

Solar powered air conditioning systems are based on time tested absorption chillers. Absorption chillers are powered by heat (hot water). Thousands have been installed using gas boilers or waste heat from generators or other sources. They also run very effectively with a proper solar thermal configuration.

Made by Yazaki, the Solar Absorption Chiller has been down-sized to fit into buildings as small as a 3000 square foot home. When engineered to run on solar energy, the absorption chiller AC units are the lowest cost to operate and provide the best return on investment of any air conditioning system in the world. Many businesses find that the system pays for itself in as little as two years!

Our solar air conditioning units can be used anywhere that the sun shines; they are low in operating and maintenance costs. They consume little or no electrical energy -essentially the only parts that use electricity are low amp fan motors and small pumps that move the thermal transfer fluid (Glycol, a food-grade antifreeze or water) from the collectors to the chiller and then back up to the collectors -all of these small electrical loads can run from solar PV panels if desired.

Inside the unit is another small pump that circulates the refrigerant. There is no "compressor" to consume power. As with any air conditioning system, heat from the building has to be exhausted. The solar air conditioning system is no different. A small cooling tower is installed on the roof, or on the ground, to remove the heat.