Plant Utilities worked example

Refrigeration Energy per Unit with refrigeration system power draw of 38 kW: a worked example

This worked example runs the refrigeration energy per unit numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: refrigeration system power draw of 38 kW instead of the typical 75 kW. Estimate refrigeration energy cost per unit for cold rooms, blast chillers, freezers, process cooling, or packaged refrigeration loads.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Refrigeration system power draw: 38 kW (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 75)
  • Refrigeration compressor runtime: 168 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Electricity rate: 0.12 $ / kWh (held at the documented default)
  • Units cooled or frozen: 42,000 units (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total refrigeration energy per unit cost = refrigeration system power × refrigeration runtime × electricity rate.
  • Total refrigeration energy per unit cost works out to 766 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Refrigeration Energy per Unit energy used works out to 6,384 kWh at these inputs.
  • Cost per production unit works out to 0.02 $ / unit at these inputs.
  • Hourly refrigeration energy per unit cost works out to 4.56 $ / hr at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where refrigeration system power draw sits at 75 kW and the headline result is 1,512 $, this scenario comes in 49.33% below the baseline at 766 $.
  • Use it when allocating refrigeration energy to product, comparing plants or evaporator zones, or building the business case for high-efficiency compressors or floating head pressure control. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total refrigeration energy per unit cost: 766 $ (headline result)
  • Refrigeration Energy per Unit energy used: 6,384 kWh
  • Cost per production unit: 0.02 $ / unit
  • Hourly refrigeration energy per unit cost: 4.56 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Refrigeration Energy per Unit calculator, set refrigeration system power draw to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.