In the last few years, thermal comfort research in summer has significantly increased the electricity consumption in buildings. This is mainly due to the use of conventional air conditioning systems operating with mechanical vapor compression. Solar cooling systems applied to buildings is an interesting alternative for reducing energy consumption in traditional mechanical steam compression air conditioning systems. But the understanding of this technology has to be refined through experimental study by setting up pilot plants. This study is a practical method to gain experience by analyzing all the processes behind solar cooling technology. For that purpose, our laboratory decided to install a solar cooling absorption system implemented in Reunion Island, located in the southern hemisphere. The particularity of this project is to achieve an effective cooling of classrooms, by a solar cooling system without any backup systems (hot or cold). The first part of this work presents an experimental study of this installation. Moreover, the study of these systems should have a closely purely fundamental approach including the development of numerical models in order to predict the overall installation performance. The final objective is to estimate cooling capacity, power consumption, and overall installation performance with relation to outside factors (solar irradiation, outside temperature, building loads). These numerical models described in several levels of accuracy, are validated by experimental data before being used either as tools for pre‐sizing models with simplified descriptions, either as a tool for optimization and analysis for the detailed models. The detailed model describing our experimental platform is used to carry out an optimization of pilot plant operation and to propose improvements to reduce electricity consumption and increase the overall electrical performance coefficient.
