Sector
Cold stores and logistics sites
Cold stores draw steady base load with compressor peaks, and electric trucks add charging load at the depot.
4,074 kWp
PV by Equator Solar
3,923 kWh
Storage by Equator Solar
34
Storage projects by Equator Solar
15
Years of Equator Solar
Compressor peaks and depot charging draw on the same connection.
Cold stores carry a steady refrigeration base load with sharper compressor peaks layered on top, most often when doors open or ambient temperature rises. As fleets electrify, depot charging adds a second, growing load on the same grid connection, and the connection limit is usually reached before the number of parking spaces is. A feasibility study sizes the cold-store peak, the charging buffer and the load management together, rather than as three separate decisions.
Compressor peaks
Layered on a steady cold-store refrigeration base load
Depot charging
Grows with fleet electrification, on the same connection
How the load looks, and where to start
Typical load pattern
Compressor peaks sit on a steady cold-store base load, and depot charging adds a second, growing load.
Cold stores draw a steady refrigeration base load with regular compressor peaks. Electric truck charging at the depot then competes for the same grid connection, and that connection is usually the limit long before the number of parking or dock spaces is.
- Steady refrigeration base load with sharper compressor peaks
- Electric truck charging adds a second, growing load at the depot
- The grid connection limit is usually reached before the parking limit
Where to start
A feasibility study sizes the cold-store peak, the charging buffer and the load management as one system.
Charging buffer, peak shaving and self-consumption are the use cases that usually apply together on a cold-chain or logistics site, and a feasibility study weighs them against each other.
- Charging buffer against the grid connection limit
- Peak shaving against the compressor peaks
- Self-consumption where roof or yard area suits solar
Use cases in this sector
Three use cases apply most often to cold-chain and logistics sites.
Charging buffer →
A buffer battery behind the chargers can put a depot into service sooner than waiting for a grid connection upgrade.
Peak shaving →
The battery discharges into the compressor peaks that sit on top of the cold-store base load.
Self-consumption →
Where roof or yard area is available, the battery is sized alongside solar rather than as a separate purchase.
Role and fee
The same independence rules and fee structure apply to every project in every sector.
One role per project
On every project we take one of two roles, never both. As independent advisor we are paid a fee, earn nothing on hardware and take no commission from manufacturers or installers. As turnkey partner we deliver the system through vetted installation partners under one contract. If we wrote the specification or evaluate the bids, we do not bid.
Fee
Load-profile analysis, feasibility studies, quote reviews and acceptance tests are offered at a fixed price agreed on the scope. Owner's engineering is billed by day rate or as a fixed fee. Turnkey delivery is a fixed-price contract.
The figures and references on this site are projects of Equator Solar Systems Ltd in East Africa. The contracting party for ZNX services is ZNX Energy GmbH.
