A new system based on the harnessing of solar and wind power is presented for heat dissipation in air conditioning facilities. The innovation offered by the new system is the integration of two well-known subsystems: a cooling tower and a solar chimney which increases the air flow without the use of electric power. The system is described and presented together with a model for its study. The field data acquired from the prototype built in southern Spain establishes the actual potential of the system, which provides a new approach to a sustainable technological development. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.