Open Access
HARNESSING SOLAR ENERGY FOR COOLING: INNOVATIONS IN SOLAR THERMAL COOLING SYSTEMS
4
Institute for Sustainable Energy Solutions, University of Madrid, Spain
Abstract
This article reviews the recent advancements in solar thermal cooling technologies, highlighting the significance of renewable energy for cooling applications, especially in regions with high cooling demand and abundant sunlight. Solar thermal cooling utilizes the heat from the sun to drive cooling processes, and this review explores the primary methods, including absorption chillers, adsorption chillers, and solar-assisted vapor compression systems. We also discuss the latest innovations, challenges, and the future outlook of solar thermal cooling in commercial and residential applications. The study further emphasizes the environmental and economic benefits of these technologies, particularly in reducing carbon footprints and operational costs.
Keywords
Solar thermal cooling,
absorption chillers,
adsorption chillers,
vapor compression systems
References
Alvarado, A., & Torres, R. (2023). Advancements in solar thermal cooling: Recent developments and future outlooks. Journal of Renewable Energy Engineering, 22(4), 315-329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jree.2023.04.011
Zhang, S., Li, H., & Wang, X. (2022). Performance analysis of hybrid solar thermal cooling systems for commercial buildings. Renewable Energy, 149, 1342-1357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.12.016
García, F., & Perez, J. (2023). Economic feasibility of solar thermal cooling systems in Mediterranean climates. Solar Energy, 191, 108-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2022.10.016
Thompson, S. L., & Nguyen, M. (2021). Advances in desiccant cooling systems: A review of solar-assisted applications. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 143(1), 011001. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4047650
Ahmed, S., & Khan, A. (2020). Integrating phase change materials with solar thermal systems: A review on energy storage for cooling applications. Energy Reports, 6, 251-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2020.01.003
Miller, J., & Williams, M. O. (2022). Enhancing the efficiency of solar thermal cooling systems through advanced heat exchanger designs. Applied Thermal Engineering, 181, 116054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2020.116054
Kumar, P., & Gupta, V. (2023). Development of high-efficiency solar thermal cooling systems for low-energy buildings. Energy and Buildings, 258, 111842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.111842
Zhao, L., & Chen, Y. (2021). Solar cooling technologies and their role in reducing building energy consumption. Energy Reports, 7, 325-337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.06.014
Bedi, D., & Singh, S. (2020). Review of solar-assisted absorption refrigeration systems: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications, 12(3), 031004. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4048920
Hussain, F., & Kassem, M. (2022). Techno-economic analysis of solar thermal cooling in tropical climates. Solar Energy, 239, 230-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2022.06.039
Fernandez, M. R., & Vazquez, R. (2021). Innovations in solar thermal energy storage for cooling applications. Journal of Energy Storage, 34, 101265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2021.101265
Liu, X., & Zhang, L. (2022). Effect of solar radiation intensity on the efficiency of solar thermal cooling systems in arid regions. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 144, 110804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.110804
Perez, J., & Hernandez, R. (2021). A comparative study of solar thermal cooling and conventional refrigeration systems for residential applications. Energy Conversion and Management, 231, 113850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2021.113850
Saini, R., & Choudhury, S. (2023). Solar cooling for sustainable urban environments: A review of current trends and future directions. Energy for Sustainable Development, 74, 93-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2023.01.002
Kim, S. W., & Lee, J. (2021). Hybrid solar thermal cooling systems with enhanced energy storage capabilities: A review. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 13(4), 045602. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0049874
Sharma, A., & Kumar, R. (2020). Solar-assisted desiccant cooling systems: Performance analysis and improvement techniques. Solar Energy, 188, 1184-1196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2019.12.054
Hassan, A., & Yousaf, R. (2022). Impact of geographic location on the performance of solar thermal cooling systems: A case study in South Asia. Energy, 239, 121709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.121709
Harris, P., & Bergstrom, P. (2021). Novel collector designs for enhanced solar thermal cooling performance in tropical climates. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 143(2), 021003. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4048700
Singh, M., & Agarwal, N. (2022). Techniques for improving heat transfer efficiency in solar thermal cooling systems. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 173, 121084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121084
Xu, Y., & Lin, H. (2023). Improved solar thermal absorption cooling systems: Design, optimization, and case studies. Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 238(6), 4137-4151. https://doi.org/10.1177/09544062211042856
Zhao, X., & Zhang, Z. (2021). The role of phase change materials in solar thermal cooling systems: A critical review. Renewable Energy, 165, 101-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.11.037
Kumar, D., & Solanki, S. (2020). Thermodynamic analysis of solar thermal cooling systems for commercial applications. Applied Energy, 278, 115544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115544
Elumalai, R., & Sundararajan, T. (2023). Recent advancements in solar thermal cooling for residential buildings: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 151, 111669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111669
Tan, L., & Wu, H. (2022). Energy efficiency analysis of solar thermal cooling systems integrated with smart building technologies. Energy Reports, 8, 541-552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.03.005
Chen, Y., & Wang, H. (2021). Simulation and performance evaluation of solar thermal cooling systems with advanced thermal storage. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 217, 110712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2020.110712
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Jean Paul Kazungu, Jean Pierre Ntayagabiri, Jeremie Ndikumagenge, M. Kokou Assogba, QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF REAL-WORLD IMPLEMENTATIONS AND OUTCOMES (2019–2024) , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 02 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 02
- Prof. Kavita Menon, An In-Depth Review of Recent Advances in Cables and Towed Objects for Ocean Engineering Towing Systems , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 08 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 08
- Dr. Aditya Wijaya, Dr. Putri Lestari, Next-Generation Semantic AI Infrastructure for Sustainable Business Intelligence , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 08 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 08
- Mateo Villarreal, Cloud-Enabled Big Data Analytics: Architectural Foundations, Security Challenges, And Sectoral Applications in The Era of Scalable Digital Intelligence , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 12 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 12
- Ismoyilov Diyorbek Bektemir og’li, Fayzillayeva Oykhon Qodir qizi, Esanova Dilsinoy Dilmurod qizi, Artificial Intelligence Today And In The Future , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 01 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 01
- Dr. Emily Chen, Improving Economic Results by Implementing Structured Administrative Governance , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 11 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 11
- Dr. Michael R. Thompson, Architecting Scalable Leader Selection and Community-Aware Coordination in Distributed Systems: A Submodular and Network-Theoretic Perspective , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 12 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 12
- Linh Thuy Nguyen, Kofi Mensah, OPTIMIZING SOFTWARE EFFORT ESTIMATION: A SYNERGISTIC HYBRID DEEP LEARNING FRAMEWORK WITH ENHANCED METAHEURISTIC OPTIMIZATION , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 11 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 11
- Dr. Aleksandar Iliev, Dr. Elena Stojanovsk, Systematic Analysis of Deep Learning Models for Performance Assessment , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 08 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 08
- Aarav Sharma, Ananya Patel, AI-Driven Scalability and Robotics Integration for Sustainable Construction Management , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 08 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 08
Similar Articles
- Wei Zhang, Liang Chen, Advanced Process Optimization Framework for Enhancing Biogranule Development Using Static Mixers in Aerobic Textile Wastewater Treatment Systems , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 05 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 05
- Prof. Nikos Demetriou, Adaptive Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Multidimensional Dataset Evaluation through Relationship-Centric Models , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 03 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 03
- Kwame Mensah, Ama Owusu, Event-Driven Intelligent Manufacturing: Autonomous Exception Resolution Using Multi-Agent Generative AI and SAP S/4HANA , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 09 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 09
- Dr. Theresa Vance, Advanced Paradigms In 10G Automotive Ethernet: Integrating Hyperlynx-Validated Electromagnetic Shielding, Sustainable Printed Electronics, And Adaptive Control for Next-Generation ADAS Architectures , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 02 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 02
- Kwame Mensah, Abena Owusu, An Analytical Framework for Neural Network Architectures and Their Emerging Applications , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 10 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 10
- Dr. Muhammad Arif Hidayat, Architectural Design and System-Level Solutions for Seamless Incorporation of Robotic Technologies into Existing Industrial Infrastructure Networks , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 06 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 06
- Alaric Whitemore, The Architecture of Quality: Integrating Machine Learning, Blockchain, and Automated Analysis for the Evolution of Secure and Modular Software Systems , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 1 No. 01 (2024): Volume 01 Issue 01
- Paul Hathaway, A Comparative Analysis of Data-Driven Decision Support Systems: Bridging Clinical Epidemiology, Public Health Informatics, And Predictive E-Commerce Analytics in The Era of Big Data , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 01 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 01
- Dr. Jonathan R. Whitmore, Architecting Resilient Continuous Integration and Delivery Ecosystems for Large-Scale Java Enterprises: An Integrated Perspective on Information Needs, Modular Evolution, and Pipeline Governance , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 10 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 10
- Dr. Lukas Schneider, Machine learning based semantic text interpretation models supporting self-operating healthcare policy adherence records creation , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 01 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 01
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.