# Is there such a thing as a solar thermal-powered heat pump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301 "2010-05-13T15:29:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/1 "2010-05-13T15:29:09Z")
I have always thought it would be nice to somehow use the copious amounts of sun we get here in Austin to run my air conditioner. I know there are single pressure refrigeration systems such as the Einstein-Szilard refrigerator that just use a flame, but I don’t know if those scale up for something like central air. Does anyone know if there is such a thing? Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/2 "2010-05-13T15:44:53Z")
there may not be a single unit to do this. you can get electricity from the sun indirectly (thermal) and power a generator. also electricity can be generated through wind power which has solar thermal inputs. sourcing your electricity through either of those would be useful, there are small scale consumer level systems for wind. people have constructed thermal powered generators. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/3 "2010-05-13T20:15:02Z")
Most Solar AC research is being done in [desiccant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_air_conditioning#Solar_A.2FC_using_desiccants) systems. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/4 "2010-05-13T22:36:57Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > there may not be a single unit to do this. > > you can get electricity from the sun indirectly (thermal) and power a generator. > > also electricity can be generated through wind power which has solar thermal inputs. > > sourcing your electricity through either of those would be useful, there are small scale consumer level systems for wind. people have constructed thermal powered generators. I wasn’t talking about thermocouples or any other type of electricity generation. The refrigerator I mentioned has, I believe, no moving parts and is powered by a flame. I don’t know if you can scale such a system up to cool a house, though. If you could, it ought to be reasonably simple to use the sun as the heat source. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/5 "2010-05-13T23:56:40Z")
[http://sopogy.com/blog/2009/08/20/solar-air-conditioning-explained/](http://sopogy.com/blog/2009/08/20/solar-air-conditioning-explained/) ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/6 "2010-05-14T00:39:43Z")
Absorption systems use heat and the only moving parts will be pumps to move the solution and water. And the refergerant that is used on larger absorption units is water. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/7 "2010-05-17T21:25:29Z")
Looking at some of the links provided, I saw a system that dehydrated air by exposing it to a brine spray. Does that really work? Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/8 "2010-05-18T20:48:03Z")
I believe that Einstein and Szillard patented a type of refrigerator that worked on a simple heat differential, and required no moving parts. [Patent number FR 670428](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MiamiCaptionURL&_method=retrieve&_udi=B6V5D-4HYD9HR-1&_image=fig1&_ba=1&_user=296068&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=full&_orig=search&_cdi=5784&_issn=01722190&_pii=S0172219005001742&view=c&_acct=C000016458&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=296068&md5=dadb5900e619e3429e77094de88fa1c3) ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/9 "2010-05-19T04:52:51Z")
I believe I mentioned that. The question is, could you use the tech for central air? Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-solar-thermal-powered-heat-pump/539301/10 "2010-05-19T07:22:52Z")
> [@YamatoTwinkie](#): > > [http://sopogy.com/blog/2009/08/20/solar-air-conditioning-explained/](http://sopogy.com/blog/2009/08/20/solar-air-conditioning-explained/) I wondered the same thing as the op and this looks like the answer.