Energy-Autonomous Cooling of Open Spaces—The Impact of Thermal Comfort Temperature on the Cooperation of the Cooling System with the PV Installation

Climate change and rising temperatures in cities as a result of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) are increasing heat stress and forcing the development of efficient, sustainable outdoor cooling systems. The aim of this article was to analyse the integration of adiabatic air cooling systems with photovoltaic (PV) installations in the context of improving thermal comfort and energy autonomy. The study was carried out on the example of a bus station in Rzeszów (Poland), considering two variants of systems: indirect evaporative cooling (PKW/PV-CP-KW) and direct evaporative cooling (BKW/PV-CP-KW). Four levels of the upper limit of thermal comfort (TEmax = 22°C, 22.9°C, 24°C, 25°C) were considered to assess the impact of comfort parameters on the number of hours of system operation, energy consumption and operating costs. The results indicate that raising the TEmax reduces system uptime and significantly reduces the need for cooling – for example, increasing the TEmax from 22.9°C to 24°C reduces usable energy by 41%. At TEmax = 25°C, the BKW system achieves full energy autonomy, it is fully powered by PV. A Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Operating Cost of Ownership (LCC) confirmed the environmental and economic benefits of using higher TEmax values. The study highlights the potential of adiabatic cooling systems, in cooperation with a local PV installation, as an adaptive solution, improving thermal comfort in urban space with minimal grid energy consumption.