Refrigeration Reimagined – Cooler Systems, Cleaner Future

World Refrigeration Day underscores a pressing truth: refrigeration is essential to modern life. At Henderson, we know refrigeration plays an important role in preserving food, protecting vaccines, and enabling safe industrial processes. But behind these vital services lies a growing climate challenge. Refrigeration systems, if not properly designed and managed, contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions through energy use and refrigerant leakage. As demand for cooling rises in a warming world, stakeholders across the refrigeration value chain must act decisively to reduce the climate impact. Today is not just about recognizing the benefits of refrigeration; it’s a call to action to make it part of the climate solution.

In 2024, Henderson Engineers and Copeland partnered on a study titled “Optimizing Operational Carbon: Reclaiming Heat from Refrigeration Systems for Space Heating.” The study analyzed emissions associated with refrigeration and space heating in two retail building types, a traditional supermarket (57,000 sq. ft.) and a big-box hypermarket (190,000 sq. ft.) across six climate zones. The primary focus was on reducing emissions by transitioning from synthetic refrigerant systems to systems with natural refrigerant and optimizing heat recovery to minimize or eliminate the need for natural gas for space heating. Full study details are available here: Optimizing Operational Carbon: Reclaiming Heat From Refrigeration Systems for Space Heating | Henderson Engineers.

We’re building on the findings of the previous study by incorporating additional data from both retail building types to better understand the impact on total store-level Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Specifically, we examine how transitioning from synthetic to natural refrigerants and optimizing heat recovery for space heating affect overall building emissions. Our analysis goes beyond refrigeration and heating, encompassing emissions from total electricity and natural gas use across the building, including cooking, store cooling, lighting, and other operational demands.

Chart 1 illustrates total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions for a typical supermarket from 2025 through 2050, comparing two scenarios: a baseline system using synthetic refrigerants and natural gas for space heating, and an alternative system that employs natural refrigerants with optimized heat recovery. Total building emissions reductions range from 70% in Portland to 33% in Miami, with an average reduction of 9,865 metric tons of CO2e per store across six climate zones. Given the more than 48,000 supermarkets currently operating in the U.S. (source: FMI), the total potential emissions reduction is nearly 500 million metric tons of CO2e. This is equivalent to the emissions generated by driving an average gasoline-powered vehicle, approximately 1.2 trillion miles (source: EPA).

Chart 2 presents a comparable analysis for the big-box hypermarket format. Similar to the supermarket scenario, significant emissions reductions are achieved through the adoption of natural refrigerants and enhanced heat recovery systems. Building-level emissions reductions range from 73% in Portland to 30% in Miami, with an average reduction of 15,527 metric tons of CO2e across all six climate zones. With an estimated 6,000 hypermarkets operating nationwide, the total potential emissions reduction is approximately 93 million metric tons of CO2e, the equivalent of the emissions produced by driving a typical gasoline-powered vehicle 237 billion miles (source: EPA).

What this Means for Retailers, Utilities, and Policymakers

• Refrigeration as a Decarbonization Lever: The analysis highlights refrigeration systems as a critical and underutilized lever for decarbonization in the commercial retail sector. Integrating natural refrigerants and heat recovery can deliver deep emissions cuts at scale.
• Scalable Climate Impact: The emissions savings demonstrated across both store formats emphasize the scalable climate benefits of transitioning to low-GWP technologies. These gains are especially compelling when considered across the national retail footprint.
• Geographic Performance Variability: The variation in emissions reduction across climate zones suggests that system optimization should be tailored to regional conditions to maximize performance and return on investment.
• Alignment with Climate Policy: These findings support alignment with emerging climate policies and refrigerant regulations (e.g., AIM Act, Kigali Amendment implementation), offering a pathway for retailers to meet compliance goals while capturing operational efficiencies.

Strategic Investment Opportunity: The scale of potential emissions reductions points to a strategic investment opportunity for retailers, utilities, and policymakers to prioritize refrigeration upgrades as part of broader climate and energy strategies.

Specialized Refrigeration Design & Consulting

With deep expertise in grocery, refrigerated warehouse, cold storage, and retail environments, Henderson delivers tailored refrigeration solutions that meet the unique demands of every facility. Our in-house refrigeration engineers offer a strategic blend of technical skills and operational insight, allowing us to design systems that are not only reliable and energy-efficient but also cost-effective and environmentally conscious. We actively help clients address the challenges of climate change by designing systems that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, and incorporate low-GWP and natural refrigerants. From retrofitting aging infrastructure to implementing next-generation refrigeration technologies, our solutions support decarbonization goals, ESG strategies, and long-term sustainability.