Cold Chain Energy Cost Calculator

Work out cold chain energy cost instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Cold Chain Energy Cost Calculator

Refrigeration energy is compressor load x run hours x days, plus about 15% for evaporator fans, condenser fans, lighting and defrost cycles. Run hours reflect the duty cycle: a store pulling down a fresh intake runs far longer per day than one holding a stable load.

Formula

Cold chain energy

Compressor kWh = kW x run hours x days; total = compressor kWh x 1.15; cost = total x tariff

Worked example

With the default values below, Cold Chain Energy Cost Calculator returns Cold Chain Energy Cost of $745,200.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Refrigeration Loadminimum 0.01 kW: 45 kW
Compressor Run Hours Per Dayaccepts 0.1–24 h: 16 h
Storage Periodminimum 1 days: 120 days
Electricity Tariffminimum 0 per kWh: 7.5 per kWh

Results

Cold Chain Energy Cost: $745,200.00
Total Energy Consumed: 99,360.00
Cost Per Day: $6,210.00
Auxiliary Energy (fans, lights, defrost): 12,960.00

Step by step

1Values used
2Cold chain energy
3Cold Chain Energy Cost= 745,200.00
4Total Energy Consumed= 99,360.00
5Cost Per Day= 6,210.00
6Auxiliary Energy (fans, lights, defrost)= 12,960.00

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation or tax into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can run hours be reduced?

Pre-cool produce before loading, load in staged batches rather than all at once, keep door openings short with air curtains, and maintain insulation and door seals. Poor seals alone can add 15-25%.

Is cost per tonne stored a better metric?

Yes for benchmarking. Divide total energy by tonnes stored and days to get kWh per tonne-day, which lets you compare stores of different sizes and commodities.