SUPERMARKETS
Unlocking CO2 emission savings
Jakob Spangberg, Project Director for Decarbonisation at Danfoss, breaks down how the company’s Smart Store test site in Nordborg, Denmark, is demonstrating practical, scalable pathways to cut energy use and emissions across retail refrigeration.
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"The fi ndings, verifi ed by a third party, indicate that emission savings of 39% to 68% are achievable compared to current market
standards, depending on the reference scenario."
case study conducted at the Danfoss Smart Store facility in Nordborg, Denmark, quantifi es the potential for ‘Avoided Emissions’ by deploying a highly
integrated energy system within a standard supermarket environment. The study evaluates the performance of a CO₂-based refrigeration system combined with advanced heat recovery and on-site photovoltaic power generation. By comparing the facility’s operational data against two reference scenarios (a standard new CO₂-based store and a new HFC-based store), the analysis demonstrates signifi cant greenhouse gas emission reductions. The fi ndings indicate that such integrated systems off er a viable pathway to decarbonization for the food retail sector, supported by a business case based on energy savings and potential revenue from energy export. FORCE Technology independently verifi ed the methodology and conclusions in accordance with World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) guidelines.
The subject of the study is a fully operational supermarket that also functions as an Application Development Center (ADC). While the building’s construction is standard for a Danish supermarket of its size, its operational infrastructure is designed as a single, integrated energy system. The primary technologies under evaluation include: ■CO₂-based Refrigeration: The facility utilises CO₂ (R744) as its primary refrigerant, a natural substance with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1.
■Heat Recovery Unit (HRU): A system designed to capture waste heat rejected from the refrigeration cycle. This thermal energy is then repurposed for space heating and sanitary hot water.
■ Photovoltaic (PV) Array: A 100 kW rooftop solar installation provides on-site, low-carbon electricity.
■Grid Integration: The system is equipped to export surplus electricity to the local power grid and surplus heat to the local district heating network.
The study’s objective is to quantify the emission reductions achieved by this integrated system compared to conventional supermarket confi gurations over a 15-year operational lifetime.
14 June 2026 •
www.acr-news.com
Methodology The analysis adheres to the WBCSD’s Guidance on Avoided
Emissions framework. The study compares the Smart Store’s verifi ed performance data from the 2024 calendar year against 2 distinct, market-relevant reference scenarios for a supermarket of the same size and type in Denmark. ■Reference Scenario 1 (CO₂-based): Represents the current market average for a newly constructed supermarket, which would typically use a standard, optimised CO₂ refrigeration system without advanced heat recovery or PV integration.
■Reference Scenario 2 (HFC-based): Represents a scenario where a store is refurbished with a new system using a traditional hydrofl uorocarbon refrigerant (e.g., R404A), which has a signifi cantly higher GWP.
The study’s authors note a key conservative assumption: due to the facility’s dual purpose as an ADC, it operates with an over- dimensioned ‘advanced’ refrigeration pack designed for testing a wide range of components. This pack is presumed to have a higher energy consumption than the optimised ‘standard’ pack that a typical store would use. Therefore, the calculated avoided emissions are considered a conservative estimate, with the potential for even greater savings in a standard commercial application. The embodied carbon of the additional equipment (HRU, PV panels) was included in the lifecycle assessment.
Key fi ndings and data The verifi ed data indicate substantial avoided emissions for the integrated Smart Store system over a 15-year lifetime. ■Comparison with Standard CO₂ Store: The Smart Store demonstrated a 39% reduction in emissions, equating to 90.7 tons of CO₂e in avoided emissions. The primary drivers for this reduction are the extensive use of heat recovery (eliminating the need for a separate heating system) and the electricity supplied by the on-site PV array.
■Comparison with HFC-based Store: The study found a 68% reduction in emissions, equating to 302.5 tons of CO₂e in avoided emissions. This larger reduction is attributable to the combined eff ect of energy effi ciency gains and the near-zero GWP of the CO₂ refrigerant compared to the high GWP of HFCs.
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