During the last years the demand for summer air-conditioning increased dramatically in many countries. An enlarged installation of electrical chillers has occurred causing high electricity consumption and, consequently, significant summer peak loads in the grid. This matter can be avoided applying solar cooling processes, which are driven by solar thermal energy instead of electricity.

This solution seems to be optimal since cooling request and solar gains both exceed during summer. Furthermore, the improvement of solar thermal technology and decreasing prices at the same time make the use of the solar thermal energy more and more attractive. Then, solar cooling processes don't use refrigerants with global warming potential, as electrically driven cooling processes.

All these reasons make this technology very interesting, as it was shown in a previous IEA project: Task 25 /Solar Assisted Air-Conditioning of Buildings.

The task 25 on one hand showed the great potential of this technology for building air-conditioning, particularly in sunny regions. On the other hand, it proved the necessity for further work in order to achieve systems with a high quality standard and a reliable operation over many years. The results of the task 25 have been so positive that worldwide numerous new developments in the field of solar air-conditioning have arisen. Although that, still many deficits exist in the market introduction of solar cooling systems which can be reduced by development of advanced standardization of the design and planning processes and an improved know-how transfer.

To realize high quality systems and to encourage the introduction of solar cooling technology into the market, a new task has been defined: "Task 38/Solar Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration".

The activities of EURAC within this project are cofinanced by the Stiftung Südtiroler Sparkasse.