Stand-alone photovoltaic systems usually use batteries to adjust energy yield to energy demand. An alternative energy storage system for stand-alone photovoltaic installations is proposed for three cooling applications: air conditioning, food preservation and freezing. A thermally insulated storage tank with ammonia in saturated mixture phase is integrated into the vapour-compression cooling cycle. A thermodynamic model and an economic assessment based on typical costs and cost sensitivity are included to assess the proposed system performance in comparison with a conventional stand-alone photovoltaic system with a vapour-compression cycle. Results show that the proposed storage strategy is an affordable option, especially in hot climates and for food preservation and freezing applications. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.