Does a solar powered cold room really cut emissions?
Yes, against a grid or diesel powered cold room, because the cooling electricity comes from the panels. Two things still count: refrigerant leaks, which are Scope 1 at the gas GWP, and backup power. The embodied emissions of panels and batteries go in Scope 3 capital goods in the year bought.
What to track
- Solar generation and any grid or diesel backup.
- Refrigerant type and top-ups.
- Produce stored per month, for per tonne figures.
The bigger win
Less spoiled produce means less food wasted, but report that separately from the energy saving and do not net it off.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads fuel invoices and electricity bills and applies IPCC 2006 factors and the CEA grid factor (0.710 kg CO2 per kWh), so you can compare Scope 1 and 2 before and after a change from the documents themselves.
Sources: GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, CEA CO2 Baseline Database, IPCC AR6 Working Group I
Last reviewed 2026-10-23.