Refroidissions

Refroidissions is a neologism used in some environmental engineering and policy discussions to refer to emissions specifically associated with cooling processes. The term is intended to capture the greenhouse gases released by cooling systems, including direct refrigerant leaks, venting, and the indirect emissions from electricity or fuel used to operate equipment, as well as the embodied emissions in cooling infrastructure itself.

Etymology and usage: The word combines refroidissement, the French word for cooling, with emission, and has appeared in a limited set of academic papers and policy essays in the 2010s and 2020s to isolate the cooling-related portion of emissions from total greenhouse gas inventories.

Concept and scope: Refroidissions cover multiple sources: refrigerants with high global warming potential that escape during storage, service, or disposal; energy consumption during operation; and emissions associated with manufacturing, maintenance, and end-of-life recycling of cooling equipment. The concept aims to support life-cycle assessments and informed technology choice by distinguishing cooling-specific impacts from other emissions drivers.

Measurement and methodology: Assessments typically use life-cycle analysis or carbon accounting frameworks, weighting impacts by global warming potential and time horizon. Key metrics include refrigerant leakage rate, refrigerant GWP-weighted emissions, energy-use intensity for cooling, and the total refroidissions per service unit (for example, per cooled area or per data-center rack).

Applications and critique: Proponents argue that tracking refroidissions helps compare cooling technologies (air vs. liquid cooling, electricity sources, and refrigerants) and guide policy toward lower-GWP refrigerants and higher-efficiency equipment. Critics note the lack of standard definitions and potential overlap with existing emissions accounting, calling for standardized methodologies.