The central refrigeration system, as developed in the study has a payback period of 12.8 years from operating savings compared with a distributed system, incurring approximately 25 percent lower overall operating costs. Substantial savings in energy are also possible, compared with a distributed system. Safety considerations are also important. Ammonia, to be used in both central refrigeration systems, poses certain safety issues. These issues can be dealt with by suitable precautions and design considerations.
Environmental considerations are also important.
Many refrigerants used in distributed systems can pose difficulties. A central system also offers a number of advantages. A decision on which type of refrigeration system is best requires an examination of criteria and important factors. These factors include cost of implementation, operation costs, energy efficiency, and long term utilization of resources. The central system can use the best commercial technology for heat recovery and energy savings, or at least make provisions for implementation.