Low-GWP commercial refrigeration: How the choice between CO₂, propane, and A2L is expanding

The transition to low-GWP refrigerants in commercial refrigeration is now a consolidated operational phase. Large-scale retailers, small food outlets, convenience stores, and pharmacies are now faced with an increasingly broad range of technological solutions, ranging from self-contained R-290 (propane) cabinets and A2L appliances, to condensing units, distributed systems, and transcritical CO₂ (R-744) boosters for more complex applications.

For those involved in design and installation, this variety represents both an opportunity and additional complexity. System selection can no longer be reduced to a single technological direction, but requires an integrated understanding of the store format, refrigeration loads, sustainability objectives, and total cost of ownership.

A technological panorama that is structured by application

The various options available tend to cover specific application areas, rather than competing directly with each other. The main lines of development currently consolidated can be summarized in a few categories:

• Self-contained systems with R-290 or A2 L, factory-filled and virtually plug-and-play, particularly suitable for small-format sales outlets or one-off integrations
• A2L condensing units for medium-scale remote installations
• Distributed A2L or CO₂ systems , which fragment the refrigerant load across multiple machines and offer advantages in terms of redundancy, maintainability and overall load
• Centralized transcritical CO₂ booster systems , consolidated as a reference for large-scale food retail formats

At the same time, the components supply chain has made significant progress: compressors optimized for different fluids, dedicated controls, leak detection sensors specific for flammable refrigerants, and heat recovery solutions that expand the functional scope of the refrigeration system.

A choice that is played out in the long term

One of the key aspects of this transition phase is the expected lifespan of commercial refrigeration systems: a centralized system can remain in operation for 15-20 years. This means that the decision made today has a structural impact on the future operations of the store, the skills required of the maintenance team, and the relationship with the fluid supply chain.

For this reason, many retailers more advanced in the transition are adopting a portfolio approach, in which multiple plant types coexist within the same organization, calibrated to the format and loads of the individual store.

The criteria that guide the choice today revolve around:

• energy efficiency in real operating climate conditions
• reliability and availability of compatible spare parts and components
• installation and maintenance costs throughout the life cycle
• technical skills available from the service team, internal or external

In this interpretation, the Total Cost of Ownership becomes more relevant than the initial investment cost, and the quality of the supply chain of qualified technicians takes on a weight comparable to that of the chosen technology.

Retrofits and new installations: two intertwined paths

Another element reshaping the market is the role of gradual retrofits . Rather than replacing entire systems in a single operation, many operators are planning incremental paths, in which portions of end-of-life systems are progressively replaced with low-GWP technologies, while maintaining the still-efficient portion operational.

This approach reduces the immediate economic impact, but requires careful planning of subsystem compatibilities and a clear vision of the overall roadmap.

For refrigeration professionals, the direction is clear: the transition is no longer a binary choice between "old" and "new," but a technical and strategic process in which design consultancy becomes a key value. Assisting the customer in selecting the most suitable system, assessing the life cycle, and preparing the maintenance team is now the true benchmark for quality service in the industry.