A Comparative Review of Conventional Mechanical and Solar-Driven Cooling Technologies: Performance and Environmental Perspectives

Abstract

Conventional cooling systems are major energy consumers in hot climates, directly contributing to increased carbon emissions and placing a significant strain on Iraq's national electricity grid. This study aims to explore and evaluate clean and sustainable alternatives to conventional systems. The methodology is based on a comparative analysis of various cooling technologies, including mechanical, absorption, adsorption, drying, and hybrid systems, using key performance indicators such as the coefficient of performance (COP), energy consumption, carbon emissions, and system cooling capacity. The results show that innovative solar cooling technologies offer superior operational efficiency and significantly lower carbon emissions compared to mechanical systems. Single-effect absorption systems are the optimal choice for the local climate, as they can operate efficiently at operating temperatures (80°C–85°C) achievable with evacuated solar collectors. Furthermore, integrating thermal storage (PCM) technologies reduces system performance fluctuations, reaching approximately 33.5% [1], thus ensuring cooling stability. Based on an in-depth analysis of the latest available literature, it is possible to save up to approximately 45% [2, 3] of the energy consumed by harnessing the abundant solar radiation in Iraq for most days of the year, depending on the type and efficiency of the system used.