Review of Solar Cooling Technologies in the MENA Region

Abstract

The demand for air conditioning and refrigeration has been increasing due to a rise in the global temperature and the burgeoning world population. Conventional electricity-driven vapor compression cycles (VCCs) use refrigerants, which are harmful to the environment, and are responsible for the consumption of huge amounts of electricity leading to high CO2 emissions. Therefore, solar-driven cooling cycles have great potential to address these issues, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has an abundant supply of solar radiation. In this study, the research carried out within the MENA region on solar cooling technologies is presented. The solar cooling cycles reviewed are the adsorption, absorption, solid desiccant, liquid desiccant, ejector, and solar electric-driven cycles. The interest over time and across countries in each of these cycles is also discussed. This review shows that interest in solar cooling technologies has increased sharply in the MENA region since late 2000s, and there are several issues like subsidized electricity prices hindering their adoption. In addition, this work shows researches where more investigations are needed.