The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative: GHG Emissions from Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol tool for refrigeration is a free Excel spreadsheet calculator designed to calculate GHG emissions specifically from refrigeration and air conditioning sources. The methodologies embedded in the tool are based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Refrigeration and air conditioning emissions are most frequently classified as scope 1 emissions. This calculator can be used to develop a GHG emissions baseline specifically for a community's refrigeration and air conditioning and to develop annual inventories to assist in the tracking of emissions thereafter.
Inputs and Outputs
Inputs include: The user has three input options, a sales approach which is based on beginning and end of year storage totals, a refrigerant lifecycle approach, which uses refrigerant re-fill requirements, and a screening method, which uses equipment totals. In each case, the user must input information about the refrigerant equipment type, refrigerant used in the equipment, and any recovered refrigerant from retried equipment.
Outputs include: The tool outputs greenhouse gas emissions for each piece of equipment as well as total emissions for all facility.
GHG Protocol's refrigeration and air conditioning tool relies on IPCC emission factors and global warming potentials, so this tool may be used internationally. This tool includes a user friendly guide to definitions of fuels and sectors included in the tool and provides instructions and citations for every calculation step. Users can access the full methodology embedded in the tool through an accompanying guidance document
This tool represents one of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative's several cross-sector spreadsheets that can be used separately or in conjunction to develop a GHG inventory of various emissions sources within a community. Separate calculators are available for emissions from stationary combustion, transport or mobile sources, purchased electricity, and several industrial sectors.