Thermal-driven refrigeration systems have attracted increasing research and development interest in recent years. These systems do not cause ozone depletion and can reduce demand on electricity. The main objective of this work is to perform tests and theoretical analyses of a thermal-driven refrigeration system using a new sorbent-sorptive pair as the working pair. The active component of the sorbent used in this study is sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN). Ammonia (NH3) is chosen as sorptive. Based on the thermodynamic properties of the working solution, a mathematical model is introduced to analyze the system characteristics and performance. A series of experimental data is collected to establish the relationships among different system parameters. The results are compared with those of other thermal-driven refrigeration systems. It is shown that the advantages provided by this system over others include lower generator and evaporator temperatures and a higher coefficient of performance (COP). Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.