A control method for a switch cabinet refrigeration apparatus comprising a first refrigerant circuit including a refrigerating machine and a second refrigerant circuit separate therefrom including a heat pipe arrangement, wherein ambient air is passed through an outer circuit of the switch cabinet refrigeration apparatus for heat dissipation and air to be cooled from inside a switch cabinet to be cooled is passed through an inner circuit of the switch cabinet refrigeration apparatus, the method comprising the steps - continuous or periodic measurement of a current switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ) and determination of a setpoint temperature for the switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ), wherein the current switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ) and the setpoint temperature form input signals of a controller for actuating the switch cabinet cooling device, and wherein the controller outputs a control signal for determining manipulated variables of the refrigerating machine as a function of the input signals; - defining the controller control signal as a measured variable which is proportional to the respective current cooling power requirement (P), wherein the cooling power requirement is that cooling power which is required to keep the switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ) constantly at the setpoint temperature; - output of the measured quantity, which is proportional to the respective current cooling power requirement (P), on a display or to a regulation and control unit for the switch cabinet air conditioning for further use, wherein the further use for the cycle operation of the refrigerating machine comprises determining a cooling hysteresis with an upper and a lower limit temperature which lie around the setpoint temperature in such a way that the switch-off time of the refrigerating machine, during which the switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ) heats up from the lower limit temperature to the upper limit temperature, corresponds to at least a minimum switch-off time of the compressor between successive active phases, where the switch-off time can be estimated according to t Ab = C ∗ Δ T P , where C is the specified, estimated or experimentally determined heat capacity of the switch cabinet that has absorbed the air to be cooled, ΔT is the temperature difference between the upper and lower limit values, and P is the estimated cooling capacity requirement. - continuous or periodic measurement of a current switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ) and determination of a setpoint temperature for the switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ), wherein the current switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ) and the setpoint temperature form input signals of a controller for actuating the switch cabinet cooling device, and wherein the controller outputs a control signal for determining manipulated variables of the refrigerating machine as a function of the input signals; - defining the controller control signal as a measured variable which is proportional to the respective current cooling power requirement (P), wherein the cooling power requirement is that cooling power which is required to keep the switch cabinet internal temperature ( T i ) constantly at the setpoint temperature; - output of the measured quantity, which is proportional to the respective current cooling power requirement (P), on a display or to a regulation and control unit for the switch cabinet air conditioning for further use, <EOS>