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Calculators by domain

Every ColdMatch Calculator, Grouped by Domain

All 25 calculators in one directory: how each one calculates, a fully worked example, when to use it and when not to — and a direct handoff of the result into a quote request. Results are indicative planning figures, validated by specialists before any supplier research begins.

Room size, space and capacity

Turn stored quantity into volume, floor area and pallet positions.

Cold room size calculator

Method

• Net volume = intake × days ÷ density; gross = net × 1.30; floor = gross ÷ clear height.

Worked example

A frozen packaged-food room receives 20 t/day and holds 14 days at 6 m clear height.

280,000 kg ÷ 400 = 700 m³ net → 700 × 1.30 = 910 m³ gross → 910 ÷ 6 ≈ 152 m² floor → 910 ÷ 2.2 ≈ 414 Euro-pallet equivalents = 910 m³ (32,137 ft³), about 152 m² (1,636 ft²) and 414 pallet equivalents.

Use it when

• You know daily intake and storage days and need volume, floor area and pallet count.
• Early layout discussions with a designer or landlord.

Not for

• You need refrigeration duty in kW — continue to the refrigeration load calculator.
• High-bay or automated stores with very different m³ per pallet.

Send result to a quote request Open the calculator

Facility sizing calculator

Method

• 1. Pallet positions = pallets, or tonnes × 1.33 (≈ 750 kg per pallet)
• 2. Gross volume (m³) = pallet positions × 3.2 m³ (racking, aisles, staging)
• 3. Floor area (m²) = gross volume ÷ 6 m clear height
• 4. Base duty (kW) = gross volume × W/m³ band (22 chilled · 32 frozen · 90 blast) ÷ 1000
• 5. Required duty = base × 1.20 design margin × (1 + fault uplift 0–25%)

Worked example

New frozen store for 500 EUR pallets, no existing fault.

500 × 3.2 = 1,600 m³ (56,500 ft³) → 1,600 ÷ 6 = 267 m² (2,870 ft²) → 1,600 × 32 ÷ 1000 = 51.2 kW base → 51.2 × 1.20 = 61.4 kW = ≈ 61.4 kW required duty (≈ 17.5 TR · 209,600 BTU/h). With 'plant older than 12 years' (+20%) it becomes ≈ 73.7 kW.

Use it when

• You have a pallet or tonne target and a temperature class, and want volume, area and indicative duty in one step.
• An existing fault (short cycling, warm spots) should be priced into the estimate.

Not for

• You need a detailed heat-load breakdown — use the refrigeration load calculator.
• Warm product pull-down dominates the load.

Send result to a quote request Open the calculator

Warehouse capacity planner

Method

• Positions = effective area × pallets/m² × rack levels × utilisation; throughput = positions × turns.

Worked example

A 5,000 m² (53,820 ft²) distribution centre with 12 m (39.4 ft) clear height and selective racking.

Rack levels = floor((12 − 1.5) ÷ 1.65) = 6 → Effective area = 5,000 ÷ 1.35 ≈ 3,704 m² → Positions ≈ 3,704 × 0.95 × 0.55 × 6 × 0.85 ≈ 9,875 → Annual throughput ≈ 9,875 × 18 = 177,750 pallets = About 9,875 pallet positions and 177,750 pallets per year of throughput.

Use it when

• You have a building footprint and want pallet positions and annual throughput by racking type.

Not for

• You need refrigeration sizing — this tool is about storage capacity, not cooling.
• The building is not yet chosen; start with the cold room size calculator.

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Cold storage growth planner

Method

• 1. Storage duty (kW) = target pallets × kW/pallet (0.048 chilled · 0.060 pharma · 0.075 frozen · 0.115 deep)
• 2. Throughput duty (kW) = target inbound pallets/day × pull-down factor (0.35 chilled · 0.30 pharma · 0.85 frozen/deep)
• 3. Door duty (kW) = doors × (1 + throughput growth) × 6 kW
• 4. New peak = storage + throughput + door duty; gap = peak − installed duty
• 5. Utilisation = peak ÷ installed: > 115% upsizing likely · 85–115% review · < 85% may absorb growth

Worked example

Frozen cold store growing from 10,000 to 18,000 pallets, inbound 220 → 380 pallets/day, 6 doors, 800 kW installed.

18,000 × 0.075 = 1,350 kW → 380 × 0.85 = 323 kW → 6 × 1.727 × 6 = 62 kW → Peak = 1,735 kW · gap = 935 kW · utilisation 217% = New peak ≈ 1,735 kW (≈ 493 TR · 5.9 million BTU/h) — plant upsizing or a second plant is very likely required.

Use it when

• An existing store is growing and you want to know if the installed plant can absorb it.

Not for

• A greenfield project — use the facility sizing calculator instead.
• You need an equipment selection, not a capacity gap.

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Refrigeration duty and equipment

Estimate the cooling capacity, compressor and envelope a supplier must quote against.

Cooling capacity calculator

Method

• Duty = volume × W/m³ class × climate multiplier × safety factor.

Worked example

A 2,000 m³ frozen room in a hot/arid climate with a 20% safety factor.

Base = 2,000 × 38 ÷ 1,000 = 76.0 kW → Climate adjusted = 76.0 × 1.20 = 91.2 kW → Design = 91.2 × 1.20 = 109.44 kW = About 109 kW, 31.1 TR or 373,000 BTU/h.

Use it when

• You want a fast first-pass duty from room volume and temperature class.

Not for

• You need a component-level load breakdown — use the refrigeration load calculator.
• Blast freezing or pull-down duty — use the blast freezer calculator.

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Refrigeration load calculator

Worked example

A 500 m² chilled room, 6 m high, receives 15,000 kg/day at 22 °C.

Transmission = 11.52 kW → Product pull-down = 12.50 kW → Infiltration = 3.74 kW; internal gains = 4.14 kW → Average load 31.90 × 24 ÷ 18 × 1.15 = 48.91 kW = 48.91 kW (13.91 TR), planning band 36.35–61.47 kW.

Use it when

• You need the full load build-up: transmission, product, infiltration and internal gains.
• You want to hand a supplier a defensible duty figure.

Not for

• You only have a pallet count — start with the facility sizing calculator.
• Door traffic dominates — cross-check with the door infiltration calculator.

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Door infiltration load calculator

Worked example

A frozen-store doorway during a warm, humid operating day.

Air exchange = 0.22 × area × √(g × height × density difference) → Peak load × (1 − curtain effectiveness) → Average = peak × open seconds ÷ 86,400 = About 10.6 kW average added duty from door openings.

Use it when

• Doors open frequently and you want to quantify the warm-air and moisture penalty.
• Comparing strip curtains, air curtains or high-speed doors.

Not for

• The room is mostly sealed — infiltration will be negligible.
• You need total room duty — combine with the refrigeration load calculator.

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Compressor sizing calculator

Method

• COP ≈ base COP × 60 ÷ lift; motor = duty ÷ COP; displacement from swept-volume correlation.

Worked example

Preliminary NH₃ compressor family for 150 kW at −30 °C evaporating and 40 °C condensing.

COP ≈ 3.1 × 60 ÷ 70 = 2.66 → Motor ≈ 150 ÷ 2.66 = 56.5 kW → Displacement ≈ 480 m³/h = About 56.5 kW motor input and a screw-compressor family — not a manufacturer selection.

Use it when

• You have a duty and temperatures and want a preliminary compressor family and motor size.

Not for

• Final equipment selection — that needs manufacturer software and a supplier.
• You do not yet know the duty — size the load first.

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Insulation panel calculator

Method

• Thickness from target U-value; heat gain = U × envelope area × ΔT.

Worked example

A 30 × 20 × 8 m frozen room at −20 °C in a 35 °C ambient uses PIR panels.

Thickness = 125 mm (4.92 in) → U = 0.022 ÷ 0.125 = 0.176 W/m²K → Envelope area = 2,000 m² → Heat gain = 0.176 × 2,000 × 55 ÷ 1000 = 19.4 kW = 125 mm panels with about 19.4 kW transmission heat gain.

Use it when

• You want panel thickness and envelope heat gain for a given room and temperature difference.

Not for

• You need full load including product and infiltration.
• Floor insulation and thermal bridges — those need a design engineer.

Send result to a quote request Open the calculator

CO₂ vs ammonia comparison

Method

• 1. Seasonal COP = application COP (3.1 chilled · 1.9 frozen · 1.4 blast) ÷ climate penalty (CO₂ 0.94–1.24 · NH₃ 1.00–1.06)
• 2. Compressor power (kW) = refrigeration duty ÷ COP
• 3. Annual energy = compressor kW × run hours × tariff
• 4. Maintenance = capex × 3.5% (CO₂) or 4.5% (NH₃)
• 5. 10-year TCO = capex + 10 × (energy + maintenance)

Worked example

600 kW frozen-storage plant in a warm climate (peak ~38 °C), 6,000 run hours.

CO₂ COP = 1.9 ÷ 1.12 = 1.70 → 354 kW → 2.12 GWh/yr → NH₃ COP = 1.9 ÷ 1.03 = 1.84 → 325 kW → 1.95 GWh/yr = Ammonia uses ≈ 8% less energy at this climate; in cool climates the CO₂ penalty disappears and the gap reverses.

Use it when

• You are shortlisting a refrigerant for a new industrial plant and want a structured comparison.

Not for

• Small commercial systems where HFC/HFO packs are the norm.
• You need a definitive answer — local regulation and installer skill decide.

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Backup generator calculator

Method

• Running = duty × 0.85 + auxiliaries; kVA = peak ÷ 0.80 × 1.20; fuel from specific consumption.

Worked example

A 120 kW refrigeration plant with 25 kW auxiliaries needs 24-hour standby power and soft starting.

Running = 120 × 0.85 + 25 = 127 kW → Peak ≈ 146 kW → Generator = 146 ÷ 0.80 × 1.20 → 225 kVA → Fuel ≈ 906 L (239 US gal) = One 225 kVA generator and about 906 L of fuel for 24 hours.

Use it when

• Power cuts threaten stock and you need standby kVA and fuel autonomy.

Not for

• Grid is stable and product risk is low.
• You need a full electrical design — this sizes the generator only.

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Freezing and sector rooms

Blast, IQF, seafood, meat and retail refrigeration examples.

Blast freezer calculator

Method

• Duty = batch × enthalpy ÷ cycle seconds × plant allowance.

Worked example

Freeze a 20 t (44,092 lb) fish batch to a −18 °C core in an air-blast tunnel.

20,000 × 290 = 5,800,000 kJ → 5,800,000 ÷ (8 × 3,600) ≈ 201 kW → 201 × 1.20 ≈ 242 kW = About 242 kW plant duty (68.8 TR · 826,000 BTU/h).

Use it when

• You freeze batches and need plant duty from batch mass, enthalpy and cycle time.

Not for

• Continuous freezing — use the IQF freezer sizing calculator.
• Storage-only rooms.

Send result to a quote request Open the calculator

IQF freezer sizing calculator

Method

• Duty = kg/h ÷ 3600 × kJ/kg × plant allowance; daily tonnage = rate × hours.

Worked example

An IQF vegetable line freezes 2,000 kg/h for 16 hours/day with product entering at 15 °C.

2,000 ÷ 3,600 × 330 ≈ 183 kW → 183 × 1.30 ≈ 238 kW → 2,000 × 16 ÷ 1,000 = 32 t/day = About 238 kW for 32 t/day.

Use it when

• Continuous lines freezing individual pieces (vegetables, fruit, seafood) by kg/h.

Not for

• Batch freezing of cartons or pallets — use the blast freezer calculator.

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Fish & seafood cold storage calculator

Method

• 1. Stored mass (t) = daily intake × storage days
• 2. Net volume (m³) = stored kg ÷ species density (350–550 kg/m³)
• 3. Gross volume = net ÷ 0.45 utilisation; floor = gross ÷ (height − 1 m)
• 4. Pallet positions = stored kg ÷ 900 kg
• 5. Load (kW) = gross × W/m³ regime × (1 + (ambient − 30 °C) × 1.5%) ÷ 1000

Worked example

Whitefish blocks, 30 t/day held 20 days at −25 °C, 7 m building, 35 °C ambient.

600,000 ÷ 480 = 1,250 m³ net → 1,250 ÷ 0.45 = 2,778 m³ gross (98,100 ft³); floor ≈ 463 m² (4,980 ft²) → 2,778 × 24 × 1.075 ÷ 1000 = 71.7 kW = ≈ 72 kW holding load (≈ 20 TR · 245,000 BTU/h) and ≈ 667 pallet positions.

Use it when

• Seafood storage or freezing with its specific temperatures and hygiene constraints.

Not for

• General produce or pharma rooms — sector assumptions would mislead.

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Meat cold room calculator

Method

• 1. Stored mass = daily throughput × days; net volume = kg ÷ density
• 2. Gross volume = net ÷ 0.40 (rail) or 0.45 (cartoned); floor = gross ÷ (height − 0.8 m)
• 3. Rail length (m) = stored kg ÷ 320 kg/m (beef) or 170 kg/m (smaller carcasses)
• 4. Envelope load = gross × W/m³ × (1 + (ambient − 30 °C) × 2%) ÷ 1000
• 5. Product load = daily kg × cp × ΔT ÷ (20 h × 3,600); full in chill/freeze rooms, 20% in holding rooms

Worked example

Beef carcass chilling, 15 t/day held 4 days, 5.5 m room, 32 °C ambient.

60,000 ÷ 200 = 300 m³ net → 750 m³ gross (26,500 ft³) → Rail = 60,000 ÷ 320 ≈ 188 m (615 ft) → Envelope = 750 × 45 × 1.04 ÷ 1000 = 35.1 kW → Product = 15,000 × 3.2 × 34 ÷ 72,000 = 22.7 kW = ≈ 57.8 kW chilling duty (≈ 16.4 TR · 197,000 BTU/h).

Use it when

• Meat chilling, freezing or ageing rooms with carcass or carton intake.

Not for

• Non-meat products; pull-down loads and temperatures differ.

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Supermarket refrigeration calculator

Method

• 1. Chilled duty = cabinet metres × 0.42 kW/m (doored) or 0.85 kW/m (open)
• 2. Frozen duty = cabinet metres × 0.55 kW/m
• 3. Backroom duty = cold-room m³ × 0.055 kW/m³
• 4. Duty = sum × platform factor (0.92–1.08); pack size = duty × 1.15 margin
• 5. Annual energy = duty × 0.62 load factor × 8,760 h × tariff

Worked example

Mid-size supermarket on a transcritical CO₂ pack with doored chilled cabinets.

45 × 0.42 = 18.9 kW · 18 × 0.55 = 9.9 kW · 180 × 0.055 = 9.9 kW → Duty = 38.7 kW → pack 44.5 kW → 38.7 × 0.62 × 8,760 = 210,000 kWh / year = ≈ 44.5 kW pack (≈ 12.7 TR · 152,000 BTU/h) and ≈ 210 MWh of refrigeration electricity per year.

Use it when

• Retail display cabinets and cold rooms with door-open and lighting loads.

Not for

• Industrial storage or freezing — duty patterns are very different.

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Energy and running cost

Annual kWh and operating cost from duty, efficiency and tariff.

Electricity cost calculator

Method

• kWh = duty ÷ COP × hours × load factor; cost = kWh × tariff + surcharges.

Worked example

A 5,000 m³ frozen store has 120 kW duty, COP 2.6, 8,000 h/year and 0.55 average load.

120 ÷ 2.6 = 46.15 kW → 46.15 × 8,000 × 0.55 ≈ 203,077 kWh/year → Energy ≈ USD 24,369; surcharge ≈ USD 3,655 = About USD 28,024 per year before taxes.

Use it when

• You have a duty and want annual kWh and power cost at your tariff.

Not for

• You do not know the duty yet — size it first.
• You want full operating cost — use the OPEX estimator.

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Pharma cold storage energy calculator

Worked example

One +2/+8 °C pharmaceutical room with 60 kW refrigeration duty at COP 2.8.

60 ÷ 2.8 = 21.43 kW → 21.43 × 8,000 × 0.70 = 120,000 kWh → 120,000 × 0.18 = USD 21,600 = USD 21,600 per year, USD 216,000 over ten years before escalation.

Use it when

• +2/+8 °C pharmaceutical stores where compliance running cost matters.

Not for

• Non-pharma rooms; the redundancy and monitoring allowances differ.

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Cold storage OPEX estimator

Method

• 1. Average load (kW) = volume × W/m³ (14 cool · 22 chilled · 42 frozen · 62 deep) × ambient × traffic × plant efficiency factors ÷ 1000
• 2. Annual energy (kWh) = average load × 8,760 h
• 3. Power cost = kWh × your tariff
• 4. Maintenance = 18% of power cost; monitoring = fixed base + per-m³ allowance
• 5. Labour = staff × annual wage; total OPEX = power + maintenance + monitoring + labour

Worked example

4,000 m³ frozen store in a warm climate with daily dispatch and a standard modern plant.

4,000 × 42 × 1.15 × 1.12 × 1.00 ÷ 1000 = 216 kW average → 216 × 8,760 = 1.90 million kWh / year → Multiply by your tariff for the power line = ≈ 1.9 GWh per year of refrigeration electricity (≈ 216 kW ≈ 61 TR average) before maintenance, monitoring and labour.

Use it when

• You want total annual operating cost: power, maintenance, monitoring and labour.

Not for

• You only need the electricity line — the electricity cost calculator is quicker.

Send result to a quote request Open the calculator

Investment, ROI and bid comparison

Payback, total cost of ownership and like-for-like quote comparison.

Refrigeration equipment ROI calculator

Method

• Payback = investment ÷ annual benefit; NPV discounts benefits at your rate.

Worked example

A retrofit requires USD 605,000 installed and produces USD 145,000 annual net benefit over ten years.

Simple payback = 605,000 ÷ 145,000 = 4.2 years → NPV discounts ten annual benefits at 10% = 4.2-year simple payback; read NPV and IRR on the live tool.

Use it when

• Comparing an investment against its annual benefit: payback, NPV, IRR.

Not for

• Comparing two supplier quotes — use the bid comparison or TCO calculator.

Send result to a quote request Open the calculator

Refrigeration retrofit ROI calculator

Method

• 1. Saved kWh = current kWh × improvement %
• 2. Annual saving = saved kWh × tariff + (maintenance now − maintenance after)
• 3. Net investment = (investment − grant) + downtime days × cost per day
• 4. Simple payback (years) = net investment ÷ annual saving
• 5. 5- and 10-year net = annual saving × years − net investment

Worked example

Retrofit of a plant using 600,000 kWh/yr with a 22% improvement (the page's default inputs).

600,000 × 22% = 132,000 kWh → 19,800 /yr → Annual saving = 19,800 + 10,000 = 29,800 → Net investment = 240,000 + 18,000 = 258,000 → Payback = 258,000 ÷ 29,800 = 8.7 years = Simple payback ≈ 8.7 years; a grant or a higher improvement shortens it directly.

Use it when

• An existing plant upgrade where savings come from efficiency gains.

Not for

• New-build projects with no baseline to save against.

Send result to a quote request Open the calculator

Refrigeration TCO calculator

Method

• TCO = CAPEX + Σ(energy + maintenance + downtime) over the analysis period.

Worked example

Supplier A: 180 kW, COP 2.6, USD 420,000 CAPEX, USD 14,000/year maintenance, two downtime days.

180 ÷ 2.6 × 6,000 × 0.75 ≈ 311,538 kWh → Energy = USD 46,731/year → Operating = USD 76,731/year = 10-year TCO about USD 1.187 million for Supplier A.

Use it when

• Comparing suppliers on 10-year total cost, not just purchase price.

Not for

• You only need a quick payback — use the ROI calculator.

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Refrigeration bid comparison

Worked example

Supplier B quotes USD 780,000 for 420 kW but excludes civil, insulation and electrical scope.

Allowance = 1,050,000 × 0.33 = USD 346,500 → Comparable = 780,000 + 346,500 = USD 1,126,500 = Partial scope exposed and restated — the tool does not rank or recommend bidders.

Use it when

• Quotes have different scopes and you need them restated like-for-like.

Not for

• Quotes are already identical in scope — compare directly.
• You want a recommendation — the tool exposes scope gaps, it does not rank bidders.

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Financing calculator

Method

• Standard amortisation: monthly = principal × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n).

Worked example

Illustrative financing of a USD 2,000,000 project with 15% down over seven years at 7.5%.

Down payment = USD 300,000 → Principal = USD 1,700,000 → Monthly ≈ USD 26,075 = About USD 2,490,306 total paid. ColdMatch does not lend; qualified projects may be introduced to independent financing partners.

Use it when

• You want indicative monthly payments and total cost of financing a project.

Not for

• You need an actual financing offer — ColdMatch does not lend; qualified projects may be introduced to independent financing partners.

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Diagnostics

Rank likely causes before sizing replacement capacity.

Cold room troubleshooting tool

Method

• Symptoms score likely causes; context (ambient, door traffic, icing) adjusts the ranking.

Worked example

A freezer room does not reach −20 °C; 30 °C ambient, frequent door opening, heavily iced evaporator.

Door infiltration 6 + 2 × 3 = 12 → Defrost 5 + 1 × 3 = 8 → Condenser 4 + 0 = 4 = Infiltration first (High), defrost second (High), condenser third (Medium) — inspection priorities, not a diagnosis.

Use it when

• A room misbehaves and you want ranked likely causes before calling a technician.

Not for

• A safety-critical fault (ammonia smell, electrical) — stop and call a qualified technician.
• You need a diagnosis — the tool ranks inspection priorities only.

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Next steps for your project