This paper reports the experimental results of a single effect absorption cooling system of 3 kW of nominal cooling capacity operating with ammonia lithium nitrate solution. The system was designed and built in the Instituto de Energias Renovables of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and can be used for food conservation or air conditioning. The absorber and generator are falling film heat exchangers. The condenser, evaporator and solution heat exchanger are compact plate heat exchangers. The heat was supplied to the generator at temperatures between 85 degrees C and 105 degrees C, while the cooling water temperatures to remove the heat produced during the condensation and absorption varied between 18 degrees C and 36 degrees C. The results showed that the system can produce up to 2.7 kW of cooling capacity at heating water temperatures of 95 degrees C and can achieve evaporator temperatures as low as 1 degrees C. The experimental coefficients of performance varied between 0.45 and 0.70. Because of the developed system do not need a rectifier and reasonable good coefficients of performance were achieved, the developed system seems to be a good alternative to be used for food conservation or air conditioning. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.