Which Demand Spikes Can Be Fixed — and Which Can’t

This is Charles, also known as Chuck, Tralka. I’m an electrical engineer and the founder of ZeroQuest, where I focus on energy optimization for grocery stores and cold storage facilities. 

In the last video, we talked about what actually causes overnight demand spikes in grocery stores and cold storage facilities. We saw that most of these spikes are not equipment failures, but the result of normal systems operating without coordination. 

In this video, I want to answer the most practical question of all: which of these demand spikes can actually be fixed — and which ones can’t? 

This is an important distinction, because not every demand issue requires new equipment or major capital investment. In fact, many of the most impactful fixes are operational. 

Let’s start with what can often be mitigated without major capital upgrades. 

One of the biggest opportunities is defrost scheduling. 

In many facilities, defrost cycles are fixed and synchronized across multiple systems. When those schedules overlap, electric defrost heaters can stack on top of compressor recovery loads, creating large demand spikes. 

In many cases, simply staggering defrost schedules — or adjusting timing — can materially reduce peak demand without changing any hardware. 

Another common opportunity is compressor staging and sequencing. 

When multiple compressors start within the same 15-minute window, demand rises sharply. Often, staging parameters were set conservatively or left unchanged as loads evolved. 

In some facilities, adjusting sequencing logic or recovery behavior can reduce simultaneous starts and smooth demand, again without replacing equipment. 

There are also opportunities around overnight scheduling. 

Lighting blocks, HVAC units, or auxiliary systems may still be operating on schedules that no longer reflect actual occupancy or usage. These loads may be small individually, but when they coincide with refrigeration events, they can contribute to peak demand. 

Identifying and coordinating these schedules is often a low-cost way to reduce spikes. 

Now, it’s also important to be clear about what cannot be solved purely through operational changes. 

Some facilities simply have too much coincident load for their tariff structure. In those cases, even well-coordinated systems may still produce high peaks. 

Older equipment with limited control capability may not support fine-grained sequencing or load management. And in some cases, refrigeration system design itself constrains how much demand can be smoothed. 

In those situations, capital solutions — such as controls upgrades, thermal storage strategies, or energy storage — may be required to materially change demand behavior. 

The key point is this: you can’t know which path makes sense until you understand what’s actually causing the peak. 

Without interval data, peak reconstruction, and an operational review, it’s impossible to distinguish between a fixable operational issue and a structural limitation. 

This is where many facilities struggle. 

They’re often presented with capital solutions before the underlying demand drivers are fully understood. That can lead to unnecessary spending — or to solutions that don’t address the real problem. 

A more effective approach is to start with visibility. 

Understand when the peak occurs. 
Understand which systems are active. 
Understand whether timing, coordination, or controls are contributing. 

That visibility comes through the kind of Energy Audit that ZeroQuest does. 

Only then does it make sense to decide whether operational changes are sufficient — or whether capital investment is justified. 

That distinction matters not just for cost, but for confidence. 

Because when you understand your demand behavior, you can make informed decisions instead of reactive ones. 

And that’s the difference between managing energy costs and simply paying the bill. 

This has been Charles Tralka, known to my friends as Chuck, for ZeroQuest Energy.