Technoeconomic Analysis and Optimal Sizing Methodology of District Solar Cooling System

Heating and cooling are amongst the most energy consuming and polluting energy sectors. Therefore, their decarbonization and the integration of renewable energy-based applications is deemed necessary. Solar cooling could offer a valuable alternative for district or remote areas with high solar irradiance. A novel methodology is introduced for designing and analyzing a District Cooling Network (DCN) and selecting the optimal solar cooling technology to support it. Two alternate systems are studied: an absorption chiller system powered with hot water from vacuum collectors and a heat pump system powered by PVs, both containing energy storage. The optimal combination of storage capacities and collectors’ area is defined for each scenario, then the total costs are estimated and compared. Simulations and results are based on real data from the microgrid of Gaidouromantra in Greece.