Challenges in evaluating refrigeration system emissions

The useful part

During my PhD, I worked on analysing the electricity consumption of refrigeration systems in supermarkets. As my research progressed, I became interested in looking beyond energy efficiency and considering the wider environmental impact of these systems. Having lived in northern Europe, where sustainability is often a visible part of both public debate and everyday decision-making, this perspective became increasingly relevant to me.

How it works

• This is what led me to explore life cycle assessment (LCA) and to understand both its value and the practical challenges of applying LCA to supermarket refrigeration systems.
• The life cycle of a product or system can generally be divided into three main stages: manufacturing, use, and end of life.
• The aim of this blog is to identify the main sources of emissions across the refrigeration system's life cycle and explain the factors that influence them.
• These components may be produced by different suppliers in different countries using different manufacturing processes and energy sources.
• The assessment is further complicated by differences in equipment lifetime, component replacement, maintenance requirements, and refurbishment.

What to take from it

Some components may be replaced several times during the lifetime of the overall system,...