New shecco study for Carrier Commercial Refrigeration reveals natural refrigerants make commercial sense

16 September 2014

Almost two-thirds of surveyed large supermarkets from North and West European countries now use natural refrigerants in their stores, according to a new report by Carrier Commercial Refrigeration. The study, conducted by shecco, seeks to provide a clear picture of the key drivers for and against the adoption of sustainable refrigeration and refrigerant options, as well as the impact of legislation.

Carrier Commercial Refrigeration has released a new report entitled “Natural Refrigerants in Europe: The Drivers and Challenges for European Food Retailers - Data insights from new survey of food retail professionals”. The document summarises data from a dedicated market study conducted by shecco in January and February 2014. The study of predominantly large food retailers in Germany, France, Denmark, Norway and the UK found 65% of all respondents had already begun to implement natural refrigerant technology. This change, driven by a combination of market, policy and technology drivers, has strengthened the position of many retailers vis-à-vis the newly revised F-gas agreement.

“Pro-natural refrigerant legislation and increased acceptance of natural refrigerant technologies can contribute toward the overarching goals of carbon footprint reduction and increased energy efficiency,” states Thierry Jomard, President, Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, Europe, in the new report.

shecco delivers market expertise on sustainable refrigeration

“Investment in natural refrigerant systems has to make financial sense, and the price of CO2 installations is becoming more accessible. There is still work to be done, but there is strong evidence that the difference in initial investment cost between CO2 transcritical and traditional systems is coming down,” summarises Nina Masson, Deputy Managing Director, shecco, a key message from the report.

“This new report commissioned by Carrier is a key information source for all market players, not only for suppliers of viable technology solutions but also for food retailers interested in better understanding this positive cost evolution and other underlying trends towards more sustainable refrigeration,” Masson adds.

Natural refrigerants deliver ROI on par with HFCs

As a key finding from the report and for the study’s food retailers, who had an average technology investment cycle of 14 years, in terms of return on investment and life-cycle costs, natural refrigerants are considered to have achieved parity with HFCs.

What is more, although initial capital cost and investment remain higher than traditional HFC solutions, the data suggests a relatively small gap which is likely to be bridged as development gains pace. Servicing and maintenance infrastructure however, require further investment.

The report also talks about the overall role of refrigeration in carbon footprint reduction, food retailers’ willingness to reduce investment cycles for more sustainable refrigeration systems, and the role of hydrocarbons in larger systems, to name just a few other topics.

The report can be downloaded from shecco’s publication page:
http://publication.shecco.com/publications/view/carrier-foodretail-europe-report-2014

About shecco

For more than a decade market development expert shecco has been active in helping bring climate friendly technologies faster to market. shecco supports over 100+ partners worldwide in the HVAC&R sector, where the focus is on sustainable refrigeration, heating & cooling technologies using natural refrigerants. shecco offers a variety of services in three areas: 1) media & publications, including online industry platforms and a catalogue of dedicated research reports; 2) business development, including market research, consultancy and public affairs services, as well as special international projects; and 3) events, including international conferences and national workshops.

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shecco press release 16 September 2014

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