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Industry
Real Estate
Installed power
500kW
Fuel type
Diesel
Generator model
HIPOWER HMW 510-T6U
Location
Houston, TX
Problem
To meet building code, the high-rise must have backup power installed, but the existing system was very old, didn’t meet current emissions standards, and required costly and lengthy repairs.
Objective
Replace the aging generator with a newer model that meets current emissions standards and has lower maintenance costs.
Solution
A 500kW diesel generator with custom modifications.
Result
The customer now has a reliable backup power source that satisfies relevant building codes, has remote monitoring capabilities, ensures the safety of residents, and can be serviced more quickly and cheaply thanks to broader availability of parts.
The customer’s property was one of Houston’s first luxury highrises and remains a highly sought-after property. With over 100 units spread across three buildings, the backup power system must be able to support a sizable load, even if only for emergency systems.
This includes exit egress lighting systems, fire detection and alarm systems, fire pumps, stair pressurization and smoke removal systems, designated elevators, and electrical transfer switch gear.
The Houston Fire Department’s Life Safety Bureau (LSB) has oversight power over the administration of emergency systems in multifamily building operations.
According to LSB Standard 02, Rev. 02, condo generators must be “run checked” at least monthly and load tested annually, with “any failures…repaired or replaced as soon as possible.”
The project posed several difficulties.
First, the existing generator was located inside of a utility room on top of a three-story parking garage. Neither the old nor the new unit could be lifted or lowered directly into or out of the designated spot, making decommissioning and installation tough.
And being a 10,000+ lbs piece of equipment, there was an obvious need for extensive safety precautions to protect both our personnel and the customer’s property.
Finally, the new generator would not fit into the doors of the utility room with its factory skid attached.
To keep the condo’s residents protected during the project, WPP provided a portable rental generator to the buildings until decommissioning and installation were complete.
We also arranged a 55-ton, 110-foot telescopic-boom crawler crane with unique rigging that would allow us some lateral movement into the utility room before unhooking it.
To the selected generator–the 500kW HIPOWER HMW 510–we made several custom modifications to fit the application:
Even if its tenants never have cause to benefit from the emergency power systems, the customer wanted its backup power generation to provide the same level of first-class service the rest of its property offers. And an old generator with out-of-production parts just couldn’t deliver…but WPP could.
With careful logistical planning and worksite safety precautions, we were able to place a 4.5-ton generator on a rooftop inside a utility room.
Now the condo’s stakeholders no longer have to worry about outdated equipment failing to meet life safety code requirements.
And in the event a repair is needed, the downtime will be much shorter and less expensive due to the parts being current and readily available.
