by Shane Henson — March 8, 2013—Johnson Controls, a global provider of solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings, has introduced a solar cooling solution to reduce energy costs for large buildings across North America by combining its high-efficiency chillers with hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) technologies.
According to Johnson Controls, the solution is the financially responsible way to capture energy from the sun while leveraging one of the best absorption chillers on the market. It uses the YORK Absorption Chiller and features PV waste-heat recovery technology, converting 75 percent of the sun’s rays into energy, compared to 15 percent efficiency in a traditional PV system, the company says.
The solution qualifies for state and utility incentives across North America, especially in warm climates where cooling demand places a significant stress on the power grid, driving up electricity rates.
The solar-cooling solution integrates into any building controls system, including the Metasys building management system. It generates hot water for the absorption chiller to air-condition buildings and electricity to reduce demand from the power grid. Johnson Controls says the solution also features a solar-collector system developed by Cogenra, a developer of distributed solar cogeneration technology.
“Solar cooling offers a compelling value proposition for building owners by reducing both peak time energy costs and demand charges,” said Gilad Almogy, chief executive officer and founder of Cogenra.
