Can Solar Energy be used to cool buildings, is it cost effective to use such features?

Question

Is it possible to create a Solar Air cooler, on what principle does it work? What would be the materials and cost required to built such solar air coolers.

Do you have any prototype to make such air coolers.

Answer 1

It is possible to create a Solar Air Cooler; but be careful it may set buildings on fire!

Answer 2

As another answerer said, a building with solar panels should be able to generate enough electricity to run a traditional a/c.

Also, I happened to read about this solar dye yesterday:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/75...

Of course this technology isn't available yet, but all the windows in the building could be collecting solar energy, which might also keep the building cooler.

Answer 3

yes, you would need to use electricity from solar panels to run an air conditioner. there's nothing that will convert photons directly to cooling, unless you design a pelltier element on chip, but that's still converting photons to electricity to then cool.

It's not too expensive, that's why people have solar panels now. it may take 10-15 years to break even, but if everyone did it, they might be cheaper and we'd be helping the environment---although it does take a lot of nasty chemicals and energy to make the solar panels in the first place...

Answer 4

Short answer it cost to much.  The most efficient systems rely on absorption and desorption processes.  There were many of these cooling systems studied in the late 70's.  A short paper some development activities and how it works can be found at

http://geoheat.oit.edu/pdf/tp51.pdf.

Answer 5

Check this link out: http://www.dsire.org. It has a list of incentives for each state in the USA on renewable energy, like solar. Some systems can pay themselves off in only a few years

Answer 6

That technology is getting to the point to where it is worthwhile.Right now it's really expensive but it is getting cheaper every year.

Answer 7

Is there a reason you can't just use photovoltaic cells to power a run of the mill air conditioner?

Answer 8

Yes but you the money you invest there takes many years to regain because solar panels are still expensive today. maybe in the future.