Say the words “Solar Thermal” and readers of the SunWater blog may envision rows of Solar Thermal collectors providing low-cost hot water to homes and businesses. But what many people don’t know is that besides heating water and other fluids, Solar Thermal technology can also reduce air-conditioning and industrial cooling costs.
Solar cooling systems use concentrating solar collectors and absorption chillers to drive the cooling process for air conditioners and industrial cooling. So how exactly does such a system save money for building owners?
Electricity rates are often tiered, meaning that the more electricity a building uses during peak hours, the higher the rate charged for that electricity. Peak hours often occur on hot sunny days when the air conditioning load is highest. Installing a solar cooling system can result in big savings since the system reduces electricity use during peak hours. What’s more, the same concentrating solar collectors used for cooling can also be used to heat water for the facility.
Summer is coming, and if you’re looking to cut your cooling bills this year, give SunWater a call today to learn more about how you can cool it down with Solar Thermal!