raw · papers · ingested 2026-06-26
Techno-economic evaluation of a solar thermal-assisted chiller in hot desert climates
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-30751-6
Source: Scientific Reports (Nature), 2025, DOI 10.1038/s41598-025-30751-6 (open access via PMC12783651). Credibility: High (peer-reviewed, open access, full numbers). Confidence: high (single best-case site).
Key numbers (Madinah, SA; ~5,000 kWth absorption chiller, 100 m² evacuated-tube, 32% solar fraction)
- LCOC $0.028/kWh — among the lowest reported for solar sorption cooling.
- Simple payback 3.04 yr; discounted payback 3.33 yr.
- CAPEX $90,223; OPEX ~$902/yr (1% of capex).
- NPV $261,967 (25 yr); IRR 32.2%.
- Displaces ~15,650 kWh/yr electricity vs baseline electric chiller (29,150 kWh/yr); ~$29,697/yr savings.
Relevance
The counter-data point: under ideal sunbelt conditions (high irradiance + high ambient + steady large load), solar-thermal sorption cooling reaches ~3-yr payback and very low LCOC. Defines the niche in solar-cooling-pv-vs-thermal where thermal wins. Note: this is a favorable-case study, not a general verdict.