For commercial and industrial refrigeration projects (cold rooms, cold stores, process cooling) — not household fridges, home freezers or appliance repair. Results are planning estimates, not engineering design or safety advice; a qualified refrigeration engineer must confirm sizing before purchase.
Cold room energy and lifecycle cost calculator
Enter your room dimensions, temperatures, product throughput and operating hours. The calculator sizes the room, estimates the cooling load and compares two plant scenarios on energy use. Add your own tariff and cost figures to compare owning against leasing or 3PL. It never supplies tariffs, prices or savings.
Method reviewed 13 Oct 2026
1 · Room and product
Floor area
200 m²
Gross internal volume
1,200 m³
Design cooling load (incl. margin)
24.7 kW · 7 TR
Planning band: 17.9–31.5 kW
Load breakdown: Transmission 39% · Product 6% · Door infiltration 46% · Internal gains 8%
2 · Energy scenarios A vs B
Refrigeration kW per electrical kW, taken from each supplier's data at your design conditions.
Enter a COP above zero for both scenarios.
3 · Lifecycle: own vs lease / 3PL (optional)
Use quoted figures. Leave empty to skip the comparison.
Enter build cost and lease cost to compare.
Planning estimate only. Final engineering design, refrigerant selection and code compliance require review by a qualified refrigeration engineer.
ColdMatch is a managed procurement service: you submit your project, our team reviews and structures it, then contacts suitable suppliers for you. There is no direct connection to manufacturers. Free for buyers; projects from USD 250,000.
Assumptions and sources
- Product thermal properties: specific heat 3.5–3.6 kJ/kg·K above freezing, 1.8–1.9 below, latent heat 240 kJ/kg for frozen rooms, freezing point −2 °C (typical values from ASHRAE Handbook — Refrigeration, ch. 19, 2022).
- Door: 4.5 m² opening, 30 s per opening; air density 1.2 kg/m³.
- Internal gains, fans and defrost use the documented ColdMatch planning allowances in the shared load model.
- Safety margin and uncertainty band follow the ColdMatch calculation methodology page.
- COP, tariff, capital, maintenance and lease figures come only from you.
Formulas
- Volume = length × width × height
- Design load = (transmission + product + infiltration + internal) ÷ running hours × 24 × (1 + margin)
- Annual kWh = daily thermal kWh × 365 ÷ COP
- Present cost = capital + Σ annual cost ÷ (1 + r)^t, t = 1…n
Questions
How is the cooling load calculated?
It adds four parts: heat through walls, roof and floor; heat removed from incoming product; warm air entering through doors; and heat from lights, people, forklifts, fans and defrost. That daily total is spread over the compressor's running hours, and a safety margin is added.
Why do I have to enter the COP and tariff myself?
Efficiency and electricity prices vary by plant design, refrigerant, climate and contract. Using supplier data and your own tariff avoids made-up savings.
Can I use metric and US units?
Yes. Switch units at any time; the values you entered are converted, not reset.
Is this enough to buy equipment?
No. It is a planning and comparison tool. A qualified engineer must confirm the design, and suppliers must quote against a full specification.
Estimates Only: This calculator is provided for general informational purposes only. Results are approximate and may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information. They do not constitute legal, financial, engineering, tax, technical, or professional advice. Users are solely responsible for independently verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations, and requirements with qualified professionals before making any decisions. By using this calculator, you acknowledge that the website owners, operators, and affiliates accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or decisions resulting from its use.
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