Eco-Efficiency in Refrigerated Warehouses’ Design and Management. A Critical Literature Review

In recent years, increasing attention to environmental sustainability and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has prompted industries to seek inno vative solutions to improve their energy efficiency. In this context, industrial cold storage facilities, which are essential for the storage and distribution of perishable products, are an area of particular interest. These facilities, which are character ized by high energy consumption due to controlled temperature requirements, can benefit significantly from integrated energy management strategies. Both researchers and practitioners are already working on innovating the plan ning and management of this kind of buildings, and this article aims to examine the lines of research and innovation that are already addressing Industry 5.0 and the new priorities of sustainability and resilience in this context. It also aims to iden tify and categorize strategies for optimizing the performance of these industrial facilities, contributing to an optimal management model from both an operational and economic perspective, as well as from an environmental perspective. The article finally highlights the research gaps, limitations and further develop ment windows that might lead both researchers and practitioners to the sustainable planning and management of industrial, energy-demanding buildings.