Use of parabolic trough solar collectors for building air conditioning and domestic hot water production - case study

The aim of this study is the evaluation of the economic and technical viability for the installation of a solar air conditioning system based on parabolic solar concentrators and adsorption technology, in an existent building. As case study was selected a university canteen located in the centre region of Portugal. Besides air conditioning, this system is also used for domestic hot water production. This solution enables the system use throughout the year in order to maximize the investment. Results show that the implementation of these systems is feasible for the portuguese reality and the return of the investment can be achieved in 8 years without governmental financial support.