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Refrigeration is a significant cost for some businesses. Older cold rooms and refrigeration units with inefficient refrigeration systems use more energy than those that use modern technologies in the refrigeration system. It’s possible to reduce these costs by upgrading to more efficient technology.

Eligibility

All Victorian businesses that have an older cold room, or are installing a newer cold room, are eligible to participate. Incentives are available for cold rooms:

  • where goods are stored at temperatures below seven degrees Celsius
  • operating below zero degrees Celsius (freezers).

There are three possible scenarios that are eligible for cold room incentives:

  • installing an electronic expansion valve and compatible superheat controller
  • installing an efficient refrigeration system that includes at a minimum three of the specified parts
  • installing a high efficiency refrigeration system that includes at a minimum all five of the specified parts.

All Victorian businesses with an older cool room, refrigerated display cabinet or freezer are also eligible to upgrade to more energy-efficient refrigeration fans.

Your participation is voluntary.

How to organise upgrades to cold rooms and fans

To get a discount on the upgrade to a cold room you must:

  1. install an approved product
    Hint: research these products for their suitability and quality. There are a lot of products approved for installation as part of VEU. Not all products are of the same quality or suitable for every environment.
  2. work with an accredited provider
    Hint: get quotes from several providers. Accredited providers offer different types of products, services, expertise, and costs. Make sure to get a quote from several accredited providers on the final installed price of the appliance, which includes the discount.

Working with accredited providers

An accredited provider is:

  • any business that is approved to deliver or facilitate installations in the VEU program
  • responsible for helping you get a discount on an installed appliance through the VEU program.

When doing an installation through the VEU program, accredited providers can either:

  • use their own tradesperson, or
  • work with a tradesperson of your choice.

Accredited providers will be able to explain:

  • the steps to take part in the program
  • the types of products can you install to get a discount
  • the necessary qualifications of the tradesperson who upgrades the cold room.

Remember: you must work with an accredited provider to get a discount on an installed appliance through the VEU program.

How to check if a person or business is accredited under the VEU program

Go to the Essential Services Commission’s VEU Registry of Accredited Persons and:

  • select the ‘Business Name’ drop-down menu
  • scroll until you see the accredited provider you are searching for.

Note: accredited providers often work with installers who are not listed on the registry.

How much discount you can expect

To be installed

Indicative discount*

The refrigeration system of a cool room at a small café is retrofitted to include an electronic expansion valve and compatible superheat controller.

$910

A large, new cold room is built to store frozen foods for a distribution company. The cold room includes an efficient digital scroll compressor and speed controlled, electronically commutated fans in the condensers and evaporators.

$2,660

The refrigeration system of an existing cool room in a liquor store is retrofitted to include:

  • an electronic expansion valve and compatible superheat controller
  • technology capable of varying condensing temperature with ambient temperature
  • an efficient compressor with variable speed capacity control
  • speed controlled, electronically commutated fans in the condensers and evaporators.

$2,800

Motored fan (refrigeration).

$70

Motored fan (air-handling ventilation system).

$70

*This figure is based on a certificate price of $70.

The final installed price of the appliance, which includes the discount, is up to the accredited provider and will depend on several factors, including:

  • certificate price (which fluctuates)
  • location
  • installation costs
  • the accredited provider’s administrative costs.

For more information on the certificate price under the VEU program, please see Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs).

Find an accredited provider in your area

Can’t find an accredited provider in your area?

Please note that as VEU is a market-based program:

  • not all accredited providers listed above will necessarily be offering cold room upgrades at present
  • accredited providers can choose when and where they undertake upgrades.

Page last updated: 22/09/23