Performance of the Sacramento demonstration ICPC collector and double effect chiller

In 1998 two new technologies were demonstrated for the first time in a commercial building: (1) a new integrated CPC reflector evacuated solar collector (ICPC) and (2) the solar operation of a double effect absorption (2E) chiller. The 106.5 m2 ICPC collector array consisted of 336 evacuated tubes. A commercial 2E gas-fired absorption chiller was modified to operate with 150 C hot water from the solar collector array. Daily collection efficiencies of nearly 50% and instantaneous collection efficiencies of about 60% were achieved throughout the first two years of operation. Daily chiller COPs of about 1.1 were also achieved. 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.