A triple-state LiCI-H2O absorption system with a power of 10 kW that is fully driven by solar thermal energy has been designed and installed in a detached house in Spain. The system dissipates heat through a swimming pool, avoiding the need for a cooling tower. The system is fed using a solar thermal system with an area of 35.54 m(2). The behavior of the system was monitored for a full year. The design and the calculations for the thermal requirements are presented, and the values of the coefficient of performance (COP) and the expected temperatures are compared with those obtained experimentally. This paper demonstrates that the actual values are slightly lower than the simulated values. The experiment has validated the possibility of using a swimming pool as a sink for heat dissipation. The economic analysis shows that the internal rate of return (IRR) reaches 12.45% while achieving a 68% reduction in greenhouse gasses GHG emissions. The results show that this approach can add great value to solar thermal energy systems while avoiding problems due to high temperatures during the summer months. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.