Prepare for Disaster Relief with an Industrial Generator

Renting an industrial emergency backup generator during a natural disaster or other power outage can be a challenging, if not an overwhelming undertaking. When a widespread power outage occurs, industrial rental generators become scarce very quickly. 

If you look at the statistical data on the number of businesses that lost power during recent hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or fires, they numbered in the tens of thousands. Businesses that had an emergency power plan, experienced a dramatically reduced impact to their operations, revenue and profit.  

Preparation is the key to ensuring your business or construction site will have access to emergency power, when and where you need it.

Here are some things to consider as you develop your disaster relief plan related to power:

1. How much emergency generator power will be needed?
2. Do you want to power up your entire building or just certain critical loads?
3. A utility power outage could last from one to ten days or more.
4. Which areas of your facility could be without power for that length of time?

Determining power needs:

The nameplate on your main electrical panel will tell you what the maximum amount of power that could be used in amps and volts. Buildings typically use far less than the panel’s rating.

Determine the actual electrical load your building uses by connecting an ammeter on each electrical panel during peak load. The preferred method would be a two-week load study to determine max load of electrical panel to be supported with a backup generator. Knowing the maximum actual connected load will greatly reduce your rental expense in a disaster and increase your ability to procure an industrial rental generator.

Reviewing your utility bill over several months to get an average usage is another way to verify actual load. Where will the industrial backup generator be placed? Once the required load is identified, the kW size of the industrial generator can be determined. Portable generators can be as large as a semi-trailer, so placement is an important consideration. Placement of the backup generator should be as close to the electrical panel as possible to minimize the amount of electrical cable that will be needed to connect the rental generator.

• Safety – The industrial backup generator should be placed in a location that is away from foot traffic. Cable ramps can be used to cover cables that cross sidewalks, but it is best to have it isolated from public access.   
• Security – Consider placing the backup generator and cable in a location that will keep it secure from theft. Copper cable is a prime target for thieves.   
• Electrical Connections – Connecting the backup generator cable to the electrical panel/s is something that a certified electrician should perform. Power distribution and connections can vary greatly and requires a knowledgeable and competent technician.  

Information your power company will need to know to make these connections:

• Panel make, model, size in amps and volts, and phase rotation.
• Any electrical drawings can be valuable to the industrial rental generator provider or those making the connections.
• Distance from generator to electrical panel room to determine cable lengths.
• Desired amps and volts to be delivered, so that the right cable size can be determined and supplied.

Fueling Of The Generator

Backup generators can require an enormous amount of diesel fuel. Your industrial generator rental company can provide you with estimated usage amounts. Important factors are:   

• What size fuel tank does the rental generator have?   
• How many gallons per hour does the generator burn at full load, at half load?   
• Estimate the number of hours per day you plan to run the rental generator and multiply by the estimated hourly burn rate to determine how many gallons per day the unit will consume. Your industrial generator rental company may provide fueling service, or you may need to find a Fuel Management company to keep the backup generator running.

Backup generators become scarce when a disaster or power outage occurs. Having identified an emergency generator power provider well in advance is only one important step to take. All metropolitan areas have generator rental companies, but will they have a unit for you when you call? And how well-equipped and experienced are they in providing industrial generators in disaster response situations? Some industrial generator rental companies specialize in providing emergency power during disaster situations. Being able to supply the information above, will be a requirement for them to provide you with the proper equipment to meet your needs...

During an emergency, proper planning is critical to being able to keep your business up and running. Once you’ve taken the steps to prepare yourself for the next power outage, it’s a good idea to keep an “Emergency Generator Power” file with all the important information above in an accessible place for all key personnel.

Power Plus! is a leading provider of reliable non-radioactive power generators across the United States and Canada.

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