Air Conditioning Using Thermal Solar Collectors Coupled with an Absorption Chiller in Corsica

A physical and energetic study of air conditioning provided by solar energy and combined with an Absorption Chiller (70 kW) installed at the University of Corsica (Ajaccio, France) since September 2008 is now conducted. System alimentation is performed through Thermal Solar Collectors (100 kWc) and a Condensing Boiler (105kW) in complement. The main interest of this thermal system which cleanly supplies heating and cooling needs of a research building is that renewable solar energy is considered as the main source and gas as an additional source of energy. Two operating modes were studied with a 5 minutes resolution time step for the data logger: heat mode during autumn/winter seasons and cool mode during spring/summer seasons, from May 2010 to May 2011.