DEVELOPMENT OF
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM
Research and development
has been pursued for many years in several countries to develop
reliable and cost effective solar cooling systems for airconditioning
and refrigeration. The systems developed so far include – vapour
absorption/absorption refrigeration systems based on solar thermal
energy, vapour compression refrigeration systems based on solar
electricity and solar assisted desiccant cooling. In the country,
work is currently being pursued in IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and
Tata energy Research Institute both on absorption and adsorption
based systems mainly for refrigeration purposes.
Several prototype
systems based on the above principles have been made and demonstrated
both in the country and elsewhere. Though the technical feasibility
of solar cooling systems could be established, their reliability,
economics and commercial viability are still to be improved.
Several R&D projects
have been funded by the Ministry to various R&D organizations
for basic studies in the area and also for development of solar
refrigeration and airconditioning systems. Some demonstration
projects based on different principles have been installed for
field performance evaluation.
Solar refrigeration
and airconditioning has been identified as one of the thrust areas
under the Research and Development programme of the Ministry.
Provision has been made for 50 per cent cost sharing by the government
for demonstration projects in the area for trying out various
concepts under actual field conditions. Efforts are also being
made under the Solar Buildings programme of the Ministry to introduce
solar assisted building design principles for reducing cooling
and heating loads of building.
This information
was given by the Minister of State for Non-Conventional Energy
Sources, Shri M. Kannappan, in a written reply to a question by
Shri Kirit Somaiya, in the Lok Sabha today.
