A dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) with rotary desiccant wheel is the combination of a desiccant dehumidification system and a vapor compression refrigeration system. An energy consumption model of this hybrid DOAS is established for its analysis. Coefficient of performance, COP, is appropriately defined for evaluation on performance of the hybrid DOAS. The results indicate that, compared with a conventional DOAS, energy savings are possible for the suggested DOAS, when solar energy or natural gas is used for regeneration. Ventilation air flow rate, temperature or humidity of outdoor air, as well as regeneration-to-process air ratio, influence the energy consumption and the COP of the hybrid DOAS, greatly. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.