Wafik A. KAMAL - , Professor and Chairman Department of Mechanical Engineering Qatar University P.O. Box ۲۷۱۳, Doha, Qatar

The concept of using a solar pond to provide air conditioning for a typical small family Qatari house is developed. Though the idea seems appealing for a number of reasons, the design study shows it to be technically feasible but not cost effective. To meet ۱۰۰% of the cooling load from March till December, the solar pond area needed is ۴-۵ times the floor area of the air-conditioned space. For space cooling, solar energy cannot compete with conventional sources at today's oil prices.