Generators: What you Need to Know

Nothing is more frustrating than a power outage.

From unpredictable weather to man-made natural disasters your business's operations are in jeopardy of being disrupted. Even more disheartening is the statistic that when businesses are forced to close because of a disaster, at least one in four never opens again.

By having a generator for your facility, you can ensure that your operations can continue to run smoothly no matter the disaster happening around you.

Choosing a Generator 
There are a variety of generators available and knowing the advantages and disadvantages of both can better help you make an informed decision.   One of the first choices you must make is whether or not to invest in a portable or standby generator.

Portable vs. Standby

Portable generators must be
manually hooked to appliances. 

Portable Generators

During a power outage, you must hook up your portable generator and plug it into the appliances you want to power or a subpanel. While portable generator are less money, they have limitations. Your portable generator can only be hooked up to a certain number of appliances at a time.

Standby generators  are wired into
 the building's electrical system.

Standby Generators

Unlike portable generators, standby generators are wired into your building's electrical system through a power switch.  Your standby generator will automatically start during a power outage.  A standby generator isolates your "emergency" electrical wiring and provides power to the selected equipment from the normal power source which then transfers the emergency load to the generator.  When power is restored the switch will also connect "emergency" circuits back to the utility lines and turn off the generator. In addition to the convenience of automatic switching, permanent generators offer higher power levels compared to portable units and longer run times.  

Sizing your Generator 

To choose the appropriate sized generator you must determine what your electrical needs are. Consider all the items you would like to power during an outage. Find the wattage and the year it was made. Add up the wattage of all your appliances and other items you want to power and double it. This can give an estimate of the amount of 

Choosing the Right Fuel

Most generators run on gasoline, but there are also other fuel alternatives that  s depending on your needs.

Natural Gas

Advantages:  Cleaner compared to oil and coal, inexpensive and readily available.

Disadvantages: Extremely explosive and a fire hazard, emits carbon dioxide and it is a limited or non-renewable resources.

Propane

Advantages: Long shelf life, doesn't evaporate overtime, clean burning, quieter engine noise level, and more emission compliant. 

Disadvantages: Pressurized cylinder of flammable gas, fuel system is more complicated, tanks are not as aesthetically pleasing, fuel system plumbing results in higher installation cost, somewhat expensive fuel.

Diesel

Advantages: Higher ratio of costs to energy density, assures steady power,reduces maintenance because there are no spark plugs or wires, long life span and least flammable fuel source.

Disadvantages: Expensive, tends to be nosier, large and bulky and considered a pollutant.