Methodology shecco, which specialises in market development, undertook research to present and analyse the best available energy efficient HFC-free technologies for the needs of the commercial refrigeration sector. To fully assess and understand the market, shecco used various means to ensure a thorough evaluation:
Desk research shecco conducted desk research regarding the current state of the commercial refrigeration market, policy trends, and the available natural refrigerant-based options. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify data and information regarding energy consumption, energy efficiency of systems, and information related to costs of emerging technologies and savings they can deliver compared to conventional systems using HFCs. An in-depth presentation of the technical characteristics of current available HFC-free technology is made possible by utilising reports from manufacturers, external publications, and the research and analysis of the EU-funded project SuperSmart, which seeks to speed up the uptake of more energy-efficient refrigeration, heating and cooling solutions for Europe’s food retail sector by reducing its energy use, lowering its environmental footprint, and increasing its economic benefits.
The interviews aimed to investigate: • Complementary data on energy efficiency of HFC-free refrigeration equipment; • Ways to improve energy efficiency of existing refrigeration systems; • Cost / return on investment for energy efficient HFC-free refrigeration equipment. The information received through interviews was incorporated in the main chapters to support the desk research findings however, most interviewees have been anonymized to protect their privacy. Moreover, additional input was received for case studies outlined in this report. Through the conversations it became clear that the initial cost of systems in absolute terms is information that is rarely publicly communicated. An exception to this is the case study 2.4 that compares installation and operating costs between HFC-based and CO2 systems. In general, industry representatives tend to express the cost and energy efficiency differences between systems in percentage ranges as it varies depending on numerous factors (e.g. size of store, climatic conditions, region / country, etc.).
Interviews with key industry stakeholders shecco contacted several leading retailers and system and component manufacturers to gather their experience and expectations of the latest market trends for HFC-free commercial refrigeration systems. Interviews were conducted mainly by telephone and email exchange in the period between December 2017 and March 2018.
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