Solar Cooling Alternatives for Kuwait's Climate

Kuwait has a very hot climate; thus, air-conditioning systems are widely used in buildings. In a typical building, 60% of the total energy use goes to the air-conditioning, and it uses up to 70% of the electricity at peak hours. This high demand for energy leads to an increased carbon footprint, which harms the environment, and the rise of the peak load demand, which harms the power grid. Hence, there is an urge to replace the conventional air-conditioning system with a more energy-efficient and ecofriendly one. This study focuses on a comparative study between the two potential solar thermally driven cooling systems: the desiccant cooling system and the absorption cooling system. The numerical model of the systems developed comprises components that are validated empirically or experimentally. Modelling has shown that the absorption chiller refrigeration system provides better results in terms of maintaining the temperature in the building and power consumption. Even though the desiccant evaporative system is more thermally and electrically efficient, the system has to operate for longer periods to maintain a comfortable thermal environment than the absorption chiller system.