Greenhouse, Indoor Farming & Agri-Processing worked example

Cold Storage Utilization at 61% target cold storage utilization: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop target cold storage utilization to 61%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Calculate the percent of pallet positions in a packhouse cooler or hydrocooler that are occupied versus the target utilization, so the post-harvest team can spot when storage is filling up faster than the truck schedule clears it.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Occupied pallet positions: 180 positions (held at the documented default)
  • Total pallet positions in the cooler: 240 positions (held at the documented default)
  • Target cold storage utilization: 61 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 85)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Cold storage utilization = occupied pallet positions ÷ total pallet positions × 100.
  • Cold storage utilization works out to 75 % at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gap to target utilization works out to -14 points at these inputs.
  • Occupied pallet positions works out to 180 count at these inputs.
  • Total pallet positions in the cooler works out to 240 count at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target cold storage utilization sits at 85% and the headline result is 75 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 75 %.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to target cold storage utilization, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It counts positions, not condition — a cooler at target utilization can still have airflow dead zones or product stacked past its safe dwell time.

Results at a glance

  • Cold storage utilization: 75 % (headline result)
  • Gap to target utilization: -14 points
  • Occupied pallet positions: 180 count
  • Total pallet positions in the cooler: 240 count

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Cold Storage Utilization calculator, set target cold storage utilization to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.