The performance of a solar-driven single-effect ammonia absorption refrigeration unit was studied numerically and experimentally. The thermal performance and unit operation status of small refrigerators were studied under various designing and operating conditions. A thermodynamic cycle scheme of hybrid ammonia-water refrigeration (HAWR) is proposed to operate in parallel with the compressor and ammonia absorption refrigeration, and the performance of the thermodynamic circulation system is evaluated by considering the thermodynamic coefficient and thermodynamic refrigeration ratio as evaluation indexes. Aspen Plus simulation software was introduced to simulate the HAWR and optimise the operation strategy. The results indicate that adjusting the compressor outlet pressure can stabilise the refrigeration capacity of the ammonia refrigeration system. The optimised working point pressure is 600 kPa, while the corresponding evaporation, condensation, absorption, and generation temperatures are 15 °C, 40 °C, 42 °C, and 85 °C respectively, the thermodynamic coefficient is 0.307, and the thermodynamic refrigeration ratio is 0.443. Under the rated cooling conditions, 44.3 % of the cooling capacity is driven by solar energy, and 55.7 % is driven by electric energy in the optimal working state. Under non-optimal working conditions, the proportion of the cooling capacity driven by electric energy is as high as 79.5 %. Under the conditions of sunny weather and with the absence of the compressor, the cooling capacity increases from 2.5 to 7.5 kW as the radiation intensity increases from 600 to 950 W/m2, while the system performance tends to be stable and the coefficient of performance maintains around 0.738 as the irradiation intensity exceeds 800 W/m2.