In an era of heightened awareness of energy efficiency and the associated environmental impacts, many industries worldwide are exploring “environmentally friendly” technologies that provide equivalent or improved performance while reducing or eliminating harmful side-effects. The refrigeration and air-conditioning industry, due to its reliance on CFCs and HCFCs, has invested in research in alternatives to the industry standard vapor compression machines. One alternative technology with great promise is chemical absorption. Absorption chillers offer comparable refrigeration output with reduced SO2, CO2, and NOxemissions. Absorption chillers do not use CFCs or HCFCs, refrigerants that contribute to ozone depletion and global warming. Additionally, gas-fired absorption chillers can save significant amounts in energy costs when used in combination with a vapor compression chiller in a hybrid system. The hybrid system can take advantage of the comparatively low price of natural gas (per unit ton) and rely on the high performance of vapor compression when electricity prices are lower.