Modelling to predict future energy performance of solar thermal cooling systems for building applications in the North East of England

Controlling and reducing energy consumption in buildings has been identified by policy makers and politicians as way of meeting global targets for greenhouse gas reductions and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Buildings must be designed and built to withstand harsh future weather patterns, and be energy efficient to run. In the UK, there has been an increasing demand to provide cooling in summer months and this is likely to increase in the future with global temperatures rising. While the potential of solar thermal energy to cool buildings has been investigated in warmer climates, this is not the case in the UK. An optimised solar thermal simulation model was developed using the UKCIP climate change weather prediction scenarios over the next 40 years to assess cooling effectiveness delivered by solar powered air cooling systems. This paper bridges the modern concept of solar cooling technology and future potential for new build and retrofitted commercial applications, using modern modelling concepts.