A solar adsorption cooling system which can be switched between a system with heat storage and a system without heat storage was designed. In the system with heat storage, a heat storage water tank was employed as the link between the solar collector circulation and the hot water circulation for the adsorption chillers. However, the heat storage water tank was isolated in the system without heat storage, and the hot water was directly circulated between the solar collector arrays and the adsorption chillers. it was found that the inlet and outlet temperatures for the solar collector arrays and the adsorption chillers in the system without heat storage were more fluctuant than those of the system with heat storage. Also found was that the system with heat storage operated stably because of the regulating effect by the heat storage water tank. However, under otherwise similar conditions, the cooling effect of the system without heat storage was similar to that of the system with heat storage. Compared with the system with heat storage, the system without heat storage has the advantages of higher solar collecting efficiency as well as higher electrical COP. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.