Absorption system diversification influence on TEWI

Modern refrigeration technology including absorption refrigeration has coexisted with the more standard type of vapour compression systems ever since the beginning of refrigeration. Absorption refrigeration mainly requires a heat source to drive its cooling cycle. Only in the USA and Japan is absorption refrigeration widespread in the market, a market tendency of the last decades. Concerns regarding the Global Warming Potential and the more recently defined Thermal Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI) is an opportunity to further explore the applications of absorption refrigeration. TEWI considers both the direct refrigerant effect and the primary energy impact on the equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This paper explores these applications over a range of annual operating times, and therefore makes recommendations on absorption system diversification to reduce the TEWI.