For Industry
Refrigerated cabinets
Overview
Commercial refrigeration covered by the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 includes various refrigerated cabinets used in the retail and hospitality sectors. These include refrigerated display and storage cabinets, ice cream freezer cabinets, and ice cream and gelato scooping cabinets.
At a Glance
To fully understand legislative requirements, registrants are encouraged to review the recently updated determination and its Explanatory Statement. Determination documents, including the statement, can be accessed from the Federal Registration of Legislation using the link in the table below.
| Determination | Minimum Energy Performance Standards | Energy Rating Label |
|---|---|---|
|
Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Refrigerated Cabinets) Determination 2024 Into force and commencement date – 5 October 2024 |
Yes | While there are no Energy Rating Label requirement other labelling requirements may apply. |
Legislation
In Australia, this product is regulated under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012.
In New Zealand, the relevant legislation is the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002. Visit Refrigerated cabinets on Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority for more information.
What products are covered?
Product classes covered by the determination are set out in Schedule 1 of the determination. Products for ‘refrigerated cabinets’ include refrigerated display, refrigerated drinks and storage cabinets, ice cream freezer and scooping cabinets.
A product will be a ‘refrigerated display cabinet’ under the determination if:
- it is not a household refrigerating appliance under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Household Refrigerating Appliances) determination 2019, either because it is “not ordinarily supplied for household use”, or it otherwise does not fall within the definition of household refrigerating appliance in section 4 of the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Household Refrigerating Appliances) determination 2019; and
- it satisfies the definition of ‘refrigerated cabinet’ in section 6 of the determination; and
- it satisfies the definition of ‘refrigerated display cabinet’ in section 8 of the determination. The definition requires, among other things, that the cabinet is “designed for storage and display of, and access by consumers to, chilled or frozen items contained in the cabinet in a retail environment”.
For more information, see sections 6, 8 and 20 and Schedule 1 of the determination.
What products are not covered?
The following products are not covered by this determination:
- refrigerated vending machines
- icemakers
- cabinets that are designed for both food processing and storage
- refrigerated cabinets that have liquid cooled condensers
- products covered by the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Household Refrigerating Appliances) determination 2019
- built-in cabinets
- roll-in cabinets
- pass through cabinets
- appliances that are intended for short time or intermittent normal operation during the full day.
- refrigerated display cabinets that are low sales volume, oversize or both, and have an indirect refrigeration system
- refrigerated storage cabinets that are not light duty, normal duty or heavy duty
- pozzetto cabinets
- chiller freezer cabinets.
Refer to section 21 of the determination for more details.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is currently investigating the creation of a Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards determination for commercial icemakers.
See news and stories or consultations where we provide information as it becomes available.
Technical requirements
For technical guidance regarding refrigerated cabinets, review thedetermination and referenced standards.
New Zealand does not cite all the below standards in its energy efficiency regulations for refrigerated cabinets. Visit Refrigerated cabinets on Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority for more information.
Standards
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European Committee for Standardization
- EN 16825:2016 Refrigerated storage cabinets and counters for professional use — Classification, requirements and test conditions, as varied
- EN 16838:2016 Refrigerated display scooping cabinets for gelato — Classification, Requirements and test conditions
- EN 16838:2019Refrigerated display scooping cabinets and pozzetto for gelato - Classification, requirements, performance and energy consumption testing
- EN 16901:2016 Ice cream freezers — Classification, requirements and test conditions, as varied
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International Electrotechnical Commission
- IEC 60335:2010 means Australian/New Zealand Standard 60335.2.89:2010 Household and similar appliances – Safety. Part 2.89: Particular requirements for commercial refrigerating appliances with an incorporated or remote refrigerant condensing unit or compressor
- IEC 60335:2020 means Australian/New Zealand Standard 60335.2.89:2020, Household and similar appliances – Safety. Part 2.89: Particular requirements for commercial refrigerating appliances with an incorporated or remote refrigerant condensing unit or compressor
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International Organization for Standardization
- ISO 22041:2019 Refrigerated storage cabinets and counters for professional use – Performance and energy consumption, as varied
- ISO 22043:2020Ice-cream freezers – Classification, requirements and test conditions
- ISO 23953-1:2015 Refrigerated display cabinets – Part 1: Vocabulary
- ISO 23953-2:2015 Refrigerated display cabinets – Part 2: Classification, requirements and test conditions, as varied
- ISO 23953-1:2023 Refrigerated display cabinets – Part 1: Vocabulary
- ISO 23953-2:2023 Refrigerated display cabinets – Part 2: Classification, requirements and test conditions, as varied
Minimum Standards
The Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for product models are set out as minimum Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) values. The EEI values to be met for different types of cabinet are specified in section 24 of the determination. Section 25 and 26 outline how the EEI is calculated.
Some standards have been modified to meet Australian requirements.
Testing your product
Products must be tested in accordance with the determination and standards to ensure they meet Australian requirements. The standards used depend on the type of product you register.
In the determination, Schedules 2, 3 and 4 set out modifications for testing products, including advice on appropriate climate-controlled test rooms.
Marking plates
Products covered by this determination are required to have marking plates that provide information about the product.
This information provides suppliers with a general idea of what is required by the determination. However, suppliers should not rely on this information for compliance and should refer to the determination to fully understand requirements.
The details included on marking plates are dependent on when the test report was prepared for the product.
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Before 5 October 2025
If the test report was prepared before 5 October 2025, then:
- A refrigerated storage cabinet must comply with clause 7 of IEC 60335:2020 or clause 7 of IEC 60335:2010
- All other products must comply with clause 7 of IEC 60335:2020 or clause 7 of IEC 60335:2010, or the following as applicable
- A refrigerated display cabinet must comply with clause 7.2 of ISO 23953-2:2023 or clause 7.2 of ISO 23953-2:2015
- A ice cream freezer cabinet must comply with clause 8.2 of ISO 22043:2020 or clause 8.2 of EN 16901:2016
- A scooping cabinet must comply with clause 8.1 of EN 16838:2019 or clause 8.1 of EN 16838:2016.
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On or after 5 October 2025
If the test report was prepared on or after 5 October 2025 then:
- A refrigerated storage cabinet must comply with clause 7 of IEC 60335:2020
- A refrigerated display cabinet must comply with clause 7.2 of ISO 23953-2:2023 or clause 7 of IEC 60335:2020
- A ice cream freezer cabinet must comply with clause 8.2 of ISO 22043:2020 or clause 7 of IEC 60335:2020
- A scooping cabinet must comply with clause 8.1 of EN 16838:2019 or clause 7 of IEC 60335:2020.
Other
Refrigerated cabinets (except for oversized refrigerated display cabinets), must be able to keep test packages within a stipulated temperature range, under test conditions. These requirements, which vary depending on the type of cabinet, are specified in sections 10 and 32, and Schedule 4 of the determination.
Labelling requirements
It is not a mandatory requirement for refrigerated cabinets covered by this determination to display an Energy Rating Label. However, a star rating may be used voluntarily to describe the energy efficiency of these products when offering to supply them.
In these circumstances, the star rating must be calculated in accordance with Schedule 5 of the determination. The rating will be calculated during the registration of a product and will be recorded in the Energy Rating Product Database.
If you would like to use the Energy Rating Icon to communicate the star rating of your product, please contact us.
Useful resources
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Access to standards
Complete national and international standards can be purchased online within Australia.
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Consumer advice
Learn how to choose the right refrigerated cabinet.
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Energy Rating Registration Database
Registered products can be viewed using the Energy Rating Registration Database.
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Registering a product
Read more about the registration process and requirements for these products.
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Family of models
The registration fee for refrigerated cabinets covers one model or a family of up to 25 cabinets.
Cabinets within a family must have the same product class with the ‘worst’ performing model being identified as the parent model. Other models within the same family must meet the requirement of the same or warmer M-package temperature class, Schedule 3 of the determination, as the parent model. Other specific requirements are set out under section 16 of the determination.