Commercial Kitchen Equipment worked example

Refrigeration Load with refrigeration connected load of 16 kW: a worked example

Push refrigeration connected load up to 16 kW and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. estimating refrigeration load and electricity cost for commercial kitchen equipment

The inputs for this scenario

  • Refrigeration connected load (compressors + evaporator fans): 16 kW (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 6.5)
  • Refrigeration runtime per operating period: 18 hr (unchanged)
  • Blended electricity cost: 0.16 $ / kWh (unchanged)
  • Meals, pans, or refrigerated units supported: 450 meals (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Refrigeration Load energy used = refrigeration connected load × refrigeration runtime per operating period) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 288 kWh for refrigeration load energy used, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 46.08 $ for total refrigeration load utility cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.1 $ / piece for refrigeration load utility cost per equipment unit.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2.56 $ / hr for hourly refrigeration load utility cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where refrigeration connected load sits at 6.5 kW and the headline result is 117 kWh, this scenario comes in 146% above the baseline at 288 kWh.
  • It computes the energy a refrigeration system consumes over an operating period, the resulting utility cost, and that cost spread across meals or refrigerated units served. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • refrigeration load energy used: 288 kWh (headline result)
  • total refrigeration load utility cost: 46.08 $
  • refrigeration load utility cost per equipment unit: 0.1 $ / piece
  • hourly refrigeration load utility cost: 2.56 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Refrigeration Load calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.