Refrigerated cabinets

A new Determination for Refrigerated Cabinets was introduced in Australia under the GEMS Act.

View the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Refrigerated Cabinets) Determination 2024(external link)

There are no changes to the MEPS requirements for these products.

The main changes in Australia include:

• Adding in additional international test standards,
• Clarifying that chiller-freezer products are not covered by the regulations,
• Changes to marking plate requirements with transitional arrangements.

These changes do not apply in New Zealand.

Not all the test standards cited in the 2024 Determination can be used to demonstrate compliance under the New Zealand Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002. New Zealand will only be accepting test reports for registration to the following test standards:

For refrigerated display cabinets:

• ISO 23953-1:2015 Refrigerated display cabinets—Part 1: Vocabulary.
• ISO 23953-2:2015 Refrigerated display cabinets—Part 2: Classification, requirements and test conditions.

For refrigerated storage cabinets:

• EN 16825:2016 Refrigerated storage cabinets and counters for professional use—Classification, requirements and test conditions.
• (Low sales volume) ISO 23953-2:2015 Refrigerated display cabinets—Part 2: Classification, requirements and test conditions.

For ice-cream freezers:

• EN 16901:2016 Ice cream freezers—Classification, requirements and test conditions.

For scooping cabinets:

• EN 16838:2016 Refrigerated display scooping cabinets for gelato—Classification, requirements and test conditions.

Variations to the Standards are outlined in schedule 2B part 2.

View schedule 2B part 2(external link)

As per clause 4(3) of the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002(external link) products registered in Australia under the GEMS Act do not need to be registered in New Zealand before sale, but must meet the New Zealand MEPS and MEPL requirements.

MEPS applies to refrigerated cabinets (fridges and freezers) used for the storage and/or display of food products, including beverages. This includes cabinets which can be sold into the residential market but are primarily designed to be used in a commercial setting. Examples are:

• Refrigerated display cabinets (integral or remote)
• Refrigerated drinks cabinets
• Refrigerated storage cabinets
• Small ice cream freezers < 500L designed for pre-packaged ice cream, and
• Scooping cabinets – including ice cream and containerised gelato.

View the full scope of the Regulations (schedule 2B, part 1, clause 2)(external link)

MEPS do not apply to:

• Refrigerated vending machines.
• Cabinets that are designed for both food processing and storage, whether or not the cabinet includes an integral refrigerated storage section.
• Refrigerated cabinets that have water-cooled condensers.
• Icemakers.
• Cabinets intended for use in catering (such as roll-in or pass-through cabinets) and similar non-retail applications.

View all products not covered by the Regulations (schedule 2B, part 1, clause 3)(external link)

The MEPS requirements for refrigerated cabinets are based on the Energy Efficiency index (EEI) scale. The EEI is calculated from the ratio of the annual energy consumption (AEC) to a reference annual energy consumption (RAEC).

AEC is a measure of the refrigerated cabinet’s typical yearly energy consumption in kWh.

RAEC is a measure of the reference level of a refrigerated cabinet’s typical yearly energy consumption in kWh per year. The RAEC is a function of the refrigerated cabinet type and configuration, and is computed by the method prescribed in schedule 2B, part 1, clause 20(external link) of the new regulations.

View the MEPS levels (schedule 2B, part 1, clause 4)(external link)

Variations to the Standards are outlined in schedule 2B part 2.

View schedule 2B part 2(external link)

For refrigerated display cabinets:

• ISO 23953-1:2015 Refrigerated display cabinets—Part 1: Vocabulary.
• ISO 23953-2:2015 Refrigerated display cabinets—Part 2: Classification, requirements and test conditions.

For refrigerated storage cabinets:

• EN 16825:2016 Refrigerated storage cabinets and counters for professional use—Classification, requirements and test conditions.
• (Low sales volume) ISO 23953-2:2015 Refrigerated display cabinets—Part 2: Classification, requirements and test conditions.

For ice-cream freezers:

• EN 16901:2016 Ice cream freezers—Classification, requirements and test conditions.

For scooping cabinets:

• EN 16838:2016 Refrigerated display scooping cabinets for gelato—Classification, requirements and test conditions.

View the requirements for family registration (schedule 2B, part 1, clause 21)(external link)

A range of refrigerated cabinets may be registered under a single registration if:

• they have the same brand, and
• they have the same M-Package temperature classification (or warmer), and
• they have identical cabinet type and access method, and
• the total number of family members does not exceed 25, and
• the least efficient model in the family (the parent model) is the model tested and used as the basis for registration, and
• if integral the total display area is same, or
• if remote the ratio of the length to total display area is the same.