If each piece of equipment in a facility is started at the same time, peak demand will be significantly greater than if equipment is started sequentially. If done properly, reducing peak demand at start-up can lead to significant energy savings.

Turn on smaller groups of equipment at a time. Also, allow fifteen to twenty minutes for equipment to stabilize prior to starting the next group, bringing equipment online steadily throughout a period of time. The same procedure should be followed while powering down equipment.