Assessing the performance of solar heating and cooling systems, especially cooling systems using solar thermal or photovoltaic driving energy, in a common comparable format, is complicated by the numerous, alternative energy sources and design possibilities. A generalized technical and economic assessment methodology was developed and tested in the course of IEA SHC Task 53. This paper is summarizing the key facts for the assessment and showing the evaluation on the basis of two simulated cases including sensitivity analysis of main boundary conditions. One case is comparing an air/water heat pump with photovoltaic and solar thermal support for a small multifamily house located in Madrid. The second case is comparing a solar thermal driven absorption chiller with a photovoltaic supported heat pump system for a hotel with dominant domestic hot water demand in Innsbruck. The sensitivity analysis shows that photovoltaic and solar thermal systems are cutting across with the same trends. Lower costs have to be derived first, followed by the efficiency of the system. Cost competitiveness is achievable for both technologies with appropriate system design and control strategies.