A detailed performance study is done for a water-lithium bromide triple regenerative effect absorption refrigerating system, with heat recovery. An analysis method is developed and implemented on a computer code to simulate the operation and control of the system under realistic conditions. The thermodynamic performances of the system are described by means of exergetic and energetic based criteria. The numerical results revealed that, by recovering wasted thermal energy into a heating effect, the system global exergetic efficiency is sensibly increased. It is also demonstrated that the amount of heat produced by the system decreases with the temperature of the heating effect while the global exergetic efficiency is increased.