As our dependency on electrical power grows, so does the affect of a power outage. Homes, health care facilities, industry, and business all rely on electrical power not just for comfort, but to run safety systems and protect property.
Key to a standby generator system is its capability to detect a power failure and then start and run routinely without human intervention. Also in conjunction with an automatic transfer switch, these units are permanently installed to your home and can discover a power outage and then supply power until regular power is restored . The generator will also automatically shut down once utility power is restored.
Critical Environments
Those that cannot tolerate any power interruption of any kind are referred to as critical environments. These include hospital operating rooms and intensive care units, computer installations, and other critical systems. These systems utilize uninterrupted power to prevent their systems from experiencing an outage, even for a few seconds.
Electrical power is stored in batteries. An inverter converts the battery power to the same power provided by the utility, which then powers the equipment connected to it. When power is disconnected, the batteries will be completely charged as they continue to supply power until the standby generator which maintains the batteries at a full charge until utility power is restored.
In hospitals, other systems may not need uninterrupted power, but they cannot be out of service for any length of time. During an outage, standby generators are the ones keeping these systems operational.
Commercial Facilities
Safety systems that are in large commercial buildings also depend on electrical power. Everything from emergency lighting to ventilation and fire safety systems require electricity, and when the power goes out, standby generators fill in until the electric company turns the power back on. During long-term outages, the batteries in emergency lights may have only a few hours of useful life . Emergency lights will fade and building occupants will not be able to navigate their way around without a standby generator taking over.
Industry
Standby generators can serve double duty in large factories. Often, manufacturers have agreements with electric utilities that allow the utility to interrupt power on quick notice when demand goes beyond the available supply. During an unexpected power outage a factory may run standby generators as an alternate supply of power. Having an alternative supply of power permits the facility to carry on working during the outage.
In addition, standby generators can power vital safety systems with power during an outage. Such safety systems are usually mandated by building codes and the installation of a commercial standby generator is not optional, but required.
Retail
Commercial standby generators maintain freezer and refrigeration units running and prevent large-scale loss of food products. When the power goes out, temperatures begin increasing in large walk-in freezers and refrigerators. Fresh meats and dairy products must be maintained at 33 to 40 degrees F. or they cannot be sold. Frozen foods require temperatures at or below 0 degrees F. to prevent spoilage.
Restaurants and grocery stores could possibly lose their inventory and suffer large financial losses with standby emergency power. Even small grocery stores have cold food inventories valued at tens of thousands of dollars, and that number increases to more than a million dollars in large stores.
Power from a standby generator can also keep an establishment’s doors open and the business operating while other businesses are closed.
Homes
Most people spend at least a third of their lives inside or around their homes. A home can very rapidly become unpleasant or even unlikeable when a storm occurs or when the power has been knocked out.
The loss of power causing loss of heat will also turn out to be an issue in the cold winter months. Without heat, pipes can freeze and break, and when they thaw again the home can flood. In the summer, the heat can be unbearable or even unsafe for some people. Refrigerated food will spoil after a day or so without power, and frozen food won’t last much longer.
Electrical Power also keeps a home dry and mold-free by removing water from the foundation. A standby generator for home use keeps the power on, even if the homeowner is not present.
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