This paper discusses solar energy use for comfort air conditioning with absorption refrigeration under Romania’s specific climate conditions and presents the results of a comparative theoretical vs. experimental study on the system performance. The absorption refrigeration system is normally designed to give rated capacity for activating fluid temperatures above 75°C for the water– lithium bromide absorption chiller. Given the fact that solar energy available in Romania is quite moderate, in other words limited to a rather reduced number of clear days along the warm season, the authors have designed a hybrid system, consisting of solar collectors and boiler, able to prepare at any time, hot water to operate the absorption machine. This paper presents both theoretical simulations and experimental results of the solar cooling system. The experimental set up includes flat-plate solar collectors, warm water storage tank, the absorption machine and the air-conditioning consumer, represented by either a fan-coil or an air handling unit. The comparative theoretical vs. experimental study leads to the conclusions regarding the absorption chiller cooling capacity and COP under variable water temperatures prepared by solar collectors and variable water cooling temperatures.