The objective of this review article is to draw a picture about a promising solar cooling concept, based on the use of concentrating solar collectors, and to define the aspects that need to be considered in future developments. The following topics are covered: an overview of solar cooling systems utilizing concentrating solar collectors worldwide; the reasons behind the selection of these solar collection technologies for solar cooling applications; a quick assessment of the main performance figures for the different solar cooling schemes based on Monte Carlo simulations; the technical requirements of the technologies for future developments. Air-conditioning and refrigeration facilities driven by concentrating solar collectors are still infrequent and the outcomes of this review clearly present the small but steadily growing market of solar cooling systems coupled with concentrating solar collection technologies

Net-zero climate districts are gaining wide attention at the European and international levels. Urban regeneration competitions have been launched recently to stimulate development; nevertheless, the literature does not yet provide a shared scope definition (i.e., product system). Using the process-based life cycle assessment method, the authors evaluate the climate profile of a new district in Milan (14 buildings with 36,000 m² of gross surface area in total) aiming to become the first net-zero social housing project in Italy. The authors show in the results section how climate neutrality is achieved on the part of the real estate operator by varying the scope. The most conservative scenario (including all the emission sources considered in the analysis) indicates that the net-zero climate target is reached only by purchasing voluntary carbon credits. The authors also highlight: (i) a district composed of nearly-zero energy buildings is far from the definition of a net-zero climate emissions district; (ii) a net-zero climate emissions district may not be a positive energy district and vice-versa; and (iii) constraints linked with the lack of space in a densely populated city due to insufficient area to install renewables on site.

The present abstract summarizes the main activities and results of a feasibility study campaign for integrating solar thermal collectors in industrial processes in Tunisia. Three technical-economy feasibility studies have been carried out for industrial end users of the textile branch. From the economic point of view, the pay-back time of the investment has been calculated, and a social benefit analysis has been implemented, considering that fossil fuel is highly subsidized by the Tunisian government. Results show that solar thermal systems are not economically interesting for end users with current subsidy schemes, but they could lead to significant economic benefits for the government. Alternative incentive mechanisms to those applied today have been considered, with the public utility in the role of the investor