Cooling performance and energy saving analysis of cascade refrigeration system powered by solar energy for Riyadh region (Saudi Arabia)

Energy saving and reduction in the green house gas emissions are key to the growth of the economy of a country. The study's objective is to develop a solar-powered cascade refrigeration system. The solar assisted cascade system is the combination of electricity-powered conventional vapour compression refrigeration system (VCRS) and solar-powered vapor absorption refrigeration system (VARS), connected in series. The system performance is analysed based on the solar thermal energy potential available at Riyadh region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). NH3 − H2O mixture is used in VARS and three different refrigerants of highest performance are selected for VCRS. Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is used to store potential energy to keep the system operating round the clock continuously. The results indicate that the coefficient of performance (COP) of the proposed system is superior compared to the conventional VCRS and has a 44.7% saving in electrical energy consumption during peak load demands. It is notice...