Hybrid Solar Thermal Air Conditioner
Why solar air-conditioning?
Solar air conditioner systems capture solar thermal effectively and as a result, the amount of work the condenser does is reduced under full load and significantly extends the time the compressor is cycled off. It further uses the solar collector which absorbs thermal solar energy with copper heat conducting inner coils. This then uses the stored energy in the solar collector to continue the refrigeration cycle while the compressor is off, utilizing a larger stored amount of refrigerant liquid in the condenser and hence becoming energy efficient and environmental friendly.
Why is it valuable to our country?
Sri Lanka has a certain disadvantage when it comes to direct solar power generation through solar panels as the solar panel’s power output efficiency drops propotional to the increase in surrounding temperature. However since solar air conditioners thrive on solar thermal energy, with increased heat and sun shine, the air conditioner will perform better as efficiency increases.
Simply put, the hotter it gets, the more energy is collected in the solar collector, the more efficient the system becomes.
Even-though the Ecofrost solar air conditioner doesn’t utilize solar heat as a direct energy source, it utilizes it to cut off energy consumption of the compressor. This makes Ecofrost solar air conditioners most suitable to a hot and humid environment like Sri Lanka.
While it functions at full efficiency during day time, it also absorbes heat during the night time absorbing surrounding heat as well as heat radiated from the outdoor unit.
Having less electronics and electrical component than the inverter type air conditioners make this more environmental friendly. It also absorbs more heat from the surrounding environment as well as the heat released from the condensing gas.
The introduction of solar air conditioners will simply give existing users and future buyers an environmentally friendly and energy efficient solution that is tailor made to our climate conditions by utilising the solar thermal energy readily available in our country. This is the most important aspect of such technology hence why we need to implement this.