REACt: self-sufficient renewable energy air-conditioning system for Mediterranean countries

The REACt project (INCO-CT-2003-015434-REACt) aims at the introduction in target Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPC) of an advanced and innovative hybrid solar hot water and air-conditioning system. Taking into account the climatic, geographical and economic situation of each country, we propose to operate on two systems based on linear parabolic trough collectors. Both systems will be calibrated for two different applications and will act as "test bed" for innovative technologies such as direct steam generation, never before utilized on systems of this size and purpose; new diathermic fluids, optimized for high thermal capacity and high performance double-effect ammonia chillers. Specifically, we propose to operate in view of the placement of the systems in two test areas: a public hospital in Morocco and a tourist resort in Jordan. A further site that will be examined is a public hospital in the city of Baabda, Lebanon, where many of the activities (country analysis, assessments, dissemination) will be performed even if no system will be installed in such site in the framework of this project. The action envisaged here is the introduction of a renewable energy system (RES) based co-generation system able to produce heat and air conditioning using solar power. The system works by means of an ammonia-based "chiller" which uses heat as input and produces refrigeration and heat as output. The input heat will come from thermal solar linear parabolic collectors. The main socio-economical objective is to generate nodes of good practice, accelerate local skill development, and promote and encourage relevant stakeholders, on all aspects of an innovative certified technology that is efficient, robust and suitable for standardized production and replication. The proposed system is a pilot system that will meet different needs and climate conditions under the national strategies and socio-economic conditions of the MPC. The REACt project is based on the transfer of a hybrid RES, which respond to the third key area of activities, proposed by the European Commission sixth Framework Programme (International Cooperation) - INCO), in particular: "Cost-effective Renewable Energy (RE) for tourist resorts and commercial centers: Improvement of solar-collectors and their integration into buildings which themselves should be of passive solar design".