In terms of energy production, we have come a long way from the early days of Thomas Edison to where our country stands today.   Yet despite great progress, we are still dealing with the effects of 20 th Century technology in a rapidly expanding 21 st Century world.   Though it is true our electric utilities produce more energy today than ever before, they cannot always deliver it where and when it is needed most.   Power interruptions that occur for a variety of reasons continue to occur, and the prospect for more such outages looms large.

A year ago the Northeast experienced a power outage on a grand scale, affecting over 50 million people.   Those who suffered directly from this event were made acutely aware of the inconvenience and problems caused by an extended outage.   But even those who were not directly affected also got the message, because of the massive publicity surrounding this unfortunate occurrence.

While plans for new power plants continue to be developed, it takes countless regulatory committees and lengthy government involvement to advance to the construction process. In the meantime, our antiquated transmission system puts entire sections of the country in jeopardy of a power outage every day.   Shoring up the grid is underway in some places, but it is apparent that a decade or more could pass before widespread improvements become a reality.

Now that we have reached the dog days of summer, nature continues to wreak havoc with the ability of utility companies to maintain interruption-free power transmission.   In addition, the increasing demand for electricity has created a strain on the supply to the point that a once ample surplus has vanished in only a few short years.

These are only a few of the elements that have heightened the consciousness of utility customers around the country to the fact that our electricity supply is not always reliable.   Though most everyone is aware that power interruptions are a continuing possibility, the majority of the public is still unaware that they have viable options to avoid the inconvenience and dangers of power outages.

Hundreds of thousands of people have purchased portable generators to help get them through an outage.   When it comes to using them, however, not everyone adheres to safe practices.   Most just start up the generator and plug in the extension cords to keep the essentials going.   What they fail to do more than 90% of the time is properly ground the generator. Even on a bright sunny day this is not a good idea, so operating the generator in the middle of a thunderstorm increases the chances for problems.   Couple this with refueling on the fly and you have all the ingredients for electrical shock or personal injury.   Even worse is sending power through an electrical outlet to power the whole house while failing to pull the main breaker.   It is an oversight that could spell disaster.

Any electrical contractor reading this can probably recall an instance or two that required an electrician's services to put things back in order after such a mishap.   We realize the homeowner is at fault here, but without proper knowledge would anyone be prepared to make better choices?

This is the product of an under-educated public.   When the media inform us of storms and outages, they do only that — inform.   What they seldom do is educate, because that doesn't make much of a splash in the headlines.   A little education in this area could go a long way.  

More than two-thirds of our neighbors are unaware of all their options when it comes to preparation, protection and alternatives in the event of a power outage.   What they need to know is that a generator is not just the engine on wheels that you put gas in, pull a rope to start and plug those extension cords into.   If you told them systems exist that would allow them to remain in their easy chair when the power went out and that a standby generator might start by itself, many would be surprised.  

The small percentage of those who have heard of these automatic devices think they cost a king's ransom.   Five years ago that was probably true based on most manufacturers' limited offerings.   Today, the good news is that prices are thousands of dollars less.   Manufacturers, retailers and price club outlets have become aware of the viability of this market, and by increasing distribution and market penetration have made things much better for everyone associated with the electrical contracting industry.   Though this product category is starting to gain real momentum and sales are on an upward trend, the vast opportunity to profit from this expanding market is still ahead.

That is where you come in.   The increased product exposure is helping get the word out. Electrical contractors everywhere are seeing the natural connection between their trade and automatic generator systems.   For some, installing these systems has supplemented their business, while others have made it a main focus where furnishing and installing makes up the majority of their work.

Several factors have led to the success and prosperity of these contractors.   Safer, cleaner, quieter, less expensive generator systems offer value and peace of mind that allow families to justify the purchase.   The lower cost of automatic home standby generators has made them available to a wider income range of the population.   The connection to the building industry offers a pre-existing customer base.   Improvements in technology and easier installation have also contributed to the popularity of these products.

These automatic generator systems are available from a number of manufacturers in sizes ranging from 6,000 watts to over 40,000 watts. They operate on the home or building's own fuel supply of natural gas or liquid propane vapor, so there are no refueling issues.   Unlike a portable generator, they are quiet while operating.   Because they react automatically to a power outage, no one has to brave the storm to restore the electricity. The greatest reassurance an owner can receive is that the system will operate in the event of an outage whether they are home or away.

Generac Power Systems offers a line of product named Guardian Plus that equips the system with all components pre-wired, including the transfer switch with a built-in load center to further provide ease of installation.   Generac also offers transfer switches with service disconnect to minimize labor while allowing the installer to more efficiently manage jobs.   To ensure safety and easier approval during inspection, the purchaser of a generator system should look for a UL 2200 Listed product.   Many municipalities will not approve the installation of a generator that lacks the UL 2200 Listing and buyers should be made aware of this.

If an automatic standby generator is a sound investment for a residential customer, it's an even more compelling purchase for a business owner or operator.   Outages will cripple a business operation in a matter of minutes, and if the loss of power persists for hours or even days, the expense becomes devastating.   Both real and intangible costs mount up quickly, and include a host of potential repercussions —

•  Loss of income;

•  Idle employees;

•  Dissatisfied customers;

•  Loss of data and communications;

•  Interruption of order flow and production;

•  Possible spoilage of work in process;

•  Spoilage of refrigerated goods; and

•  Loss of heating, cooling, pumping and security systems.

With so many expensive ramifications, it's no exaggeration to say that a standby power system could pay for itself (and then some) during the first extended outage.   Savvy business owners are realizing that, and investing in backup generators to avoid the expense of a lengthy power loss.

The buyers of commercial and industrial backup power systems have numerous factors to consider in selecting a particular system.   Mission critical applications may require a UPS battery system that is fully integrated with a standby generator to provide seamless, uninterrupted long-term power to the critical load, so those more complex systems require proper design and implementation.  

A primary consideration in choosing a backup genset is fuel type.   Natural gas generators are often selected where utility fuel supply is available, but unit cost per kilowatt rises dramatically at higher power outputs.   Where natural gas is not available, liquid propane fueled units may be a viable alternative in the lower power ranges, particularly when an on-site supply exists.   Diesel fueled gensets also require on-site fuel, but generally are more cost-effective than gaseous-fueled units at power outputs above approximately 150 kilowatts.   Bi-fuel generators that operate initially on diesel, then run on up to 90% natural gas, are an additional option from Generac Power Systems.   These gensets require less on-site fuel storage, and extend the run time per tank of diesel fuel almost tenfold, as well as produce fewer exhaust emissions than a diesel generator of equivalent output.

When selecting fuel type, local ordinances as well as national and local code requirements must be considered.   Exhaust emissions limits and fuel storage or run-time mandates may be determining factors in choosing fuel type.

For commercial and industrial systems, proper generator sizing and selection are very important.   All manufacturers have sizing software available, and it's a valuable tool that specifying engineers, dealers, contractors and end users rely upon making the proper choice.

The first step of the process is to decide if the entire building will be backed up, or only key circuits.   This is ultimately the end user's decision, but the contractor and engineer can consult and offer advice based upon their own experience, knowledge and calculations.  

The second step is to conduct a load analysis to determine the power that will be needed to do the job. An assessment of the building's equipment and existing circuitry is necessary to determine the amount of power needed to adequately serve the requirements of the load, with a cushion built in for future expansion.   If the load is going to be divided for any reason, that will have to be taken into account in planning and quoting the job, as well as in selecting the generator(s).  

Generators have limited reserve and transient capacity compared to the utility power grid, so special sizing considerations are often necessary.   Gensets operate most efficiently at about 80% of their rated output, so that should be taken into consideration in matching backup power to load requirements.

Motor loads have high starting current requirements and associated kVA, so the alternator must be able to support this transient load without excessive voltage drop.   Non-linear loads such as UPS's, variable frequency drives, and other equipment using power switching devices such as SCR's induce distortion in a generator's current and voltage waveforms.   This can cause operational problems if excessive.   These elements of the load, and their effect, must be considered.   A typical way to account for these loads is to upsize the alternator and/or select a genset with a higher kW rating.

Another item to watch for is the building load's power factor.   Usually, aggregate building power factor is between 0.8 and 1.0 lagging, which is acceptable to generators.   Lower power factor loads may require an upsized alternator, but are not common due to power factor correction requirements imposed by the utility.   Leading power factor load can result in generator over voltage and shutdown.   To prevent this, it's necessary to check for power factor correction schemes and for other capacitive loads that may result in leading power factor.   Inductive loads may need to be added as a remedy.

For higher output applications, new modular systems offer a cost-effective alternative to larger, single engine units.   With onboard paralleling technology and digital controls that eliminate the need for expensive paralleling switchgear, these Modular Power Systems from Generac allow multiple generators to be paralleled together to combine their output easily and effectively.   Like building blocks, they can be purchased as needed and scaled to the actual load, which eliminates guesswork in the planning and budgeting stage.   Multiple gensets also provide redundancy for coverage of the most critical load, since the gensets back up each other if one is not operating for some reason.   These are powerful benefits that are making single engine units or paralleled configurations with expensive switchgear cabinets much less desirable.

Local requirements and ordinances may be important in selecting the proper unit options and placement of the generator.   Where sound emissions could be a factor, the location of the unit relative to the lot line and its sound rating must be considered prior to purchase.   Sound attenuated products offer a very quiet solution in such instances, and in extreme cases, special high-grade mufflers and custom enclosures can provide additional sound mitigation for sensitive locations such as hospitals.

Automatic transfer switches are available with a wide variety of amperage ratings to meet service requirements.   Utility considerations are usually not a problem, if the transfer switch is located downstream of the service disconnect device.   However, if entire building backup is desired, the transfer switch is often installed ahead of the distribution panel that contains the service disconnect device.   In this case, a separate service disconnect must be installed upstream of the transfer switch.   As an alternative, some manufacturers offer service entrance rated transfer switches with a built-in disconnect / circuit breaker.   These products can reduce installation costs with labor savings that more than offset their purchase premiums.

As the popularity of automatic standby generators continues to grow, the sale and installation of these increasingly affordable products offers real business opportunity to enterprising contractors.   Electrical wholesalers are now offering systems up to 200 kilowatts at competitive prices, providing a dual profit opportunity in both the sale and installation.   This combination is also increasingly attractive to the end user when offered as a true package deal at a single installed price.  

Will automatic generator systems become the central air conditioner of the 21 st Century?   If outages continue to occur more and more often, installed prices continue to decline, and demand grows at the current pace, they may indeed.