Absorption
cooling first appeared in the mid 1800s and was once common in facilities with large
boiler plants, however, its use in the U.S. waned until recent developments in new, more
efficient equipment and a changing electric market made it a viable cooling option.
In particular, absorption chillers can be the best cooling choice when:
- Electric
demand charges are high
- Electricity
use rates are high
- Summertime
natural gas prices are favorable
- Utility and
manufacturer rebates exist
Although absorption chilling is
most frequently found in large commercial buildings, today’s equipment is finding its
way into a variety of small commercial applications via compact packaged units as well as
industrial process operations. One reason for
its broad range of uses results from a distinct feature of absorption cooling: the use of heat to produce cooling. Heat for the absorption process can be direct-fired
or indirect-fired using recovered waste heat, hot water or steam, or integrated with an
on-site power generation system.
The following topical sections will help you
better understand how this flexible, efficient and economical technology can meet your
cooling needs.
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