Why Generators Are Important for Commercial Buildings

No business wants to lose money due to unforeseen power outages. Unfortunately, losing money is exactly what happens when commercial buildings lose power and don’t have the backup plan needed to instantaneously restore services. Blackouts in commercial buildings can not only mean a loss in revenue, but it can also cause IT challenges, safety issues, security risks, and a reduction in customer trust for all types of businesses. These inconveniences and losses can be avoided with a properly installed and maintained generator that keeps the entire commercial building operating smoothly throughout the entire year.

Commercial Generators Can Help Protect Your Business

Generators should be a key component of your business continuity plan. Generators, typically powered by diesel engines, can protect your business interests by restoring normal power when the regular power grid is disrupted due to bad weather, animal damage to power lines, a brownout, a blackout, or scheduled maintenance. In this vein, it is important to note that generators must be properly maintained throughout the year.

Maintaining your commercial building’s generator should occur not in the hours before a winter storm, but rather at regularly scheduled intervals. Maintenance not only reduces the risks of power failure, but it will also keep your generator operating safely and efficiently. In addition to conducting proper maintenance on your generator, a licensed and certified technician should run system tests to ensure that every aspect of the generator is working properly. Your trusted technician can also make recommendations about how often you should run your generator, so that it doesn’t sit idly for too long. After all, in an age when power outages are on the rise, you don’t want your commercial building and business to be ill prepared.

The Number Of Outages Is On The Rise

Not only are power outages happening more frequently, but they are also becoming more expensive. In fact, according to Eaton’s 2017 Blackout Tracker, there were an estimated 2,840 yearly power outages that impacted 13 million people in 2009. By 2017, the number of power outages per year had reached 3,526 with 37 million people impacted. In addition to the growing number of people and businesses who are negatively impacted by power outages, the S&C’s 2018 State of Commercial & Industrial Power Reliability report noted that 18 percent of businesses experienced a loss of up to $100,000 per outage. The same report showed that 25 percent of companies are now experiencing power outages on a monthly basis. In short, as the frequency and cost of power outages continues to rise, businesses must be prepared by installing and maintaining a commercial standby generator.

What Types Of Businesses Can Benefit From A Standby Generator?

Whether you are a data center, office block, shopping mall, airport, or any type of commercial business, you can benefit from installing and maintaining a standby generator. Commercial properties should install either a natural gas or diesel generator that is large enough to power the building’s critical systems. These critical systems should be based on the specific needs of the tenants of the building.

In this vein, it is important to note that a permanent generator is typically wired into a commercial building’s electrical system via a generator transfer switch. During a power outage, the switches will isolate the “emergency” electrical wiring. Next, the generator will send power to select equipment until grid power is restored. Once the power has been restored, the switches will automatically turn off the generator. Whether you choose natural gas or diesel, with the right generator you can rest easily knowing that your commercial building (or your tenants’ businesses) will retain power when they need it most.

The Bottom Line: Avoid Costly Outages With A Properly Maintained Generator

If you want to avoid the high financial costs, interruptions to business continuity, and the general safety and security challenges that are faced in the midst of a power outage, then you need to install a generator in your commercial building. In addition to installing a natural gas or diesel generator, you should ensure that you have a comprehensive power solution in place. At Worldwide Power Products we help our clients implement comprehensive power solutions that are efficient, reliable, and ready to support their unique business continuity needs throughout the year.

In order to help you select the right generator, establish a maintenance plan, and ensure that your business is supported during short or prolonged power outages, our team will meet with you at your company’s location. We will work with you to accurately determine your specific power needs. Next, we will design a comprehensive power solution that includes a generator plan, transportation and installation of the generator, and conducting routine maintenance to ensure that is working properly throughout the year. From providing a customized maintenance plan, to offering 24/7 emergency services 365 days a year, the Worldwide Power Products team is here to help your business keep the lights on throughout the entire year. To learn more about how we can become an integral component of your preventative maintenance program, we invite you to contact us today. We look forward to getting to know more about your unique power needs and helping you select, install, and maintain the right generator for your commercial building.