A new guide published by the Institute of Refrigeration provides recommendations for reducing emissions in the UK’s commercial refrigeration sector. Developed under the Transport Industrial Commercial Refrigeration (TICR) project, the report outlines energy demand, technology options and best practices based on site surveys conducted in 2023–2024.
The guide estimates that retail refrigeration in the UK accounts for 2.04 MtCO₂e of emissions annually, representing around 1% of electricity consumption and 0.6% of national GHG emissions. These emissions are driven by refrigerant leakage (Scope 1) and electricity use (Scope 2). With population-driven market growth and higher cooling demand expected by 2050, emissions could rise to 2.67 MtCO₂e unless mitigated.
Significant energy savings are achievable through technical upgrades and operational improvements. Replacing existing cabinets with best-available models could reduce energy use by up to 65%. Scope 1 emissions could be reduced by more than 99% by switching to ultra-low GWP refrigerants such as CO₂ and hydrocarbons. Additional savings are possible through on-site solar PV, waste heat recovery, and smart control systems.
The guide presents 10 best practices, including reducing refrigerant leakage, fitting cabinet doors, cleaning condensers, using energy sub-metering and adopting a systems-based approach. It also ranks retrofit technologies by potential energy savings, with cabinet replacement offering up to 94% reduction.
The TICR project, led by London South Bank University and supported by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, also provides a benchmarking tool to assess compliance and support emissions reduction planning.
“There is much that owners and operators can do to reduce current and future emissions,” the guide states. “The steps recommended do not have to require significant financial investments or substantial legislative changes.”
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