Preface

**Section 3 Low Carbon Air Conditioning Systems 97**

**VI** Contents

Tsuyoshi Fujita and Makoto Ooba

Chapter 5 **Introduction of Low-Carbon Community Energy Systems by**

Muhammad Mujahid Rafique and Shafiqur Rehman

**District Heating and Cooling Systems 99**

Chapter 6 **Renewable and Sustainable Air Conditioning 121**

**Combining Information Networks and Cogeneration-Type**

Yujiro Hirano, Shogo Nakamura, Kei Gomi, Takuya Togawa,

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is one of the major energy consumers in modern buildings (40–70% of the energy consumption in commercial buildings). The demand of energy for air conditioning systems is expected to increase further in the next decades due to the population growth, the technological advancements, the new economic boom, the urbanization development, and the increase in the living standards. The increase in energy demand leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels and contributes to global warming. More energyefficient and renewable energy-based air conditioning systems to accomplish space cooling are needed.

This book intends to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art in sustainable air conditioning technologies and focus on the most recent research and development on green air conditioning systems including energy-efficient and renewable energy-based air conditioning systems. The book is divided in three sections: (1) "Solar Air Conditioning Systems," (2) "Absorption and Adsorption Air Conditioning Systems," and (3) "Low-Carbon Air Conditioning Systems."

The first section of this book related to the integration of solar energy in the air conditioning systems has two chapters: (1) "Solar Air Conditioning Systems" and (2) "Solar-Assisted HVAC Systems with the Integration of Phase Change Materials (PCM). The second section about the absorption and adsorption air conditioning systems has two chapters: (1) "Design and Construction for Hydroxide-Based Air Con‐ ditioning System with Solar Collector for Confined Roofs (Suitable Devices for the Operation of Air Conditioning Absorption System Based on Hydroxide)" and (2) "Adsorption Refrigeration Technolo‐ gies." The last section about low-carbon air conditioning systems has two chapters: (1) "Introduction of Low-Carbon Community Energy Systems by Combining Information Networks and Cogeneration-Type District Heating and Cooling Systems" and (2) "Renewable and Sustainable Air Conditioning Sys‐ tems (Renewable Energy-Based Desiccant Cooling Systems)."

The integration of renewable energy systems, sustainable and alternative fuels, energy-efficient innova‐ tions, and low-carbon refrigerants in the HVAC systems will help to reduce the high energy demand for modern buildings, reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, and provide potential solutions to the biggest energy challenges facing the humanity.

#### **Chaouki Ghenai, Associate Professor**

Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering Department (SREE) College of Engineering

Sustainable Energy Development Research Group Coordinator Research Institute of Science and Engineering (RISE) University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

#### **Tareq Salameh, Assistant Professor**

Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering Department (SREE) College of Engineering

Member of the Sustainable Energy Development Research Group Research Institute of Science and Engineering (RISE) University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

**Section 1**

**Solar Air Conditioning Systems**

**Solar Air Conditioning Systems**

**Chapter 1**

**Provisional chapter**

**Solar Air-Conditioning Systems**

**Solar Air-Conditioning Systems**

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72189

made at the end of the chapter.

desiccant systems, adsorption systems

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

ric tons of CO<sup>2</sup>

consumption and 36% of CO2

Emna Aridhi, Hmida Bemri and Abdelkader Mami

Emna Aridhi, Hmida Bemri and Abdelkader Mami

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.72189

The chapter presents the recent studies focusing on optimizing the efficiency of air-conditioning (AC) systems using solar energy. For this purpose, several advanced AC plants (absorption, adsorption, and desiccant) are designed. Their technology and components are described in this chapter. It also discusses the energy intake of the solar energy use in airconditioning, especially in rural regions where the electricity shortage is frequent, as well as the reduction of the energy costs and the pollution rate. A comparison between solar AC systems and traditional AC systems at the level of the designs, costs, and effectiveness is

**Keywords:** solar energy, air-conditioning systems, energy savings, absorption systems,

In recent years, the demand for comfort has been accentuated due to the earth's changing climate. Therefore, the use of air-conditioning systems is increased, which leads to higher costs and consumption of energy. It also significantly contributes to the global warming. For instance, in the United States, air conditioners use about 6% of the entire electricity produced, at an annual cost of about \$ 29 billion to homeowners. Consequently, roughly 117 million met-

Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). As a result, an increasing interest has been concentrated on the design of modern sustainable AC systems powered by renewables, especially the solar energy that is a universally inexhaustible natural and clean resource [1]. Hence, it can offer a reduction of the consumption, the demand, and the costs of energy, without decreasing the desired comfort. These systems allow converting the solar thermal energy (in the form of

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution,

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

, per year, are released into the atmosphere. On the other hand, 40% of energy

emissions in the EU are caused by buildings, according to United

and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
