How to Choose Commercial Standby Generators to Meet Your Energy Needs
More and more corporate park owners install standby generators at their office buildings to reduce the risk of business interruptions during load shedding, storms, and unforeseen electricity supply interruptions.
If you own an office block, consider how standby generators improve the value of the office space. When companies look for new premises to rent, they have to consider factors, such as available parking, security, and backup power supply. Standby generators certainly make it possible to ask higher rental prices.
What to Consider with The Leasing, Purchasing, and Installation of Standby Generators
Of course, cost is a priority to consider. But it is nearly impossible to give a ballpark figure as the power needs, size of the premises, location, and usage pattens must also be considered. Then there are the questions of noise emission, how far the machine must be located from the offices or retail stores, whether it is to be used only for periods of power outages, or whether it is to be the main source of energy. We look at two important factors to help you make an informed decision regarding standby generators.
1. Location of The Installation
The first question is where to install the machine? Should you place it outside or indoors? If you need multiple generators, then several locations are needed. Answer the following questions to determine the best placement:
What is The General Climate for The Area?
If the premises are located in a high rainfall area, then under-roof installation is best. Basement placement can be considered if the risk of flooding is low. An extremely windy area equals debris blowing into the vents, causing a risk of overheating. If placed outside, will it be possible to get to the machine for repairs if needed during harsh weather conditions?
What is the Policy on Noise Emission?
Is there a low noise emission regulation for the particular area? If so, you will need to consider one of the low noise emission generators. The placement of the machine can affect the noise level experienced by the building users and the adjacent businesses or residential homes. The noise level allowed does affect the size and type of generator that can be used. Of course, the larger generators are louder, but we also offer large units that are surprisingly quiet.
Where Is the Electrical or Maintenance Room of The Property?
Generators should be installed as close as possible to the main electricity supply room or board to minimise the need for long conduits. This is also because the automatic transfer switch is located at the main electricity board in the maintenance control room or box.
Is There Space with Enough Ventilation Inside the Building?
Generators can be placed inside buildings in rooms with enough ventilation and clearance space around the machines to ensure fire and clean air safety. Fortunately, when you lease or buy generators from us, we can assess the available space to determine if it meets the requirements for ventilation, clearance space, fire safety, and noise emission level.
What Is the Building’s Age?
Many commercial generators are huge by any standards. Such machines are often easier to install where it is possible to build rooms specifically for the machines. Fitting a machine into an older building with small openings can be difficult. Keep in mind that exhaust fumes must go somewhere. For such, the building must be appropriate in design to allow for a safe outlet of the fumes.
2. Power Needs
Apart from the mentioned location factors, you need to consider the exact power needs as generators have different power output capacities. If the idea is to provide power to an entire office park or retail centre, a larger generator with high load-bearing capacity will be needed. If you intend to install a unit for each office block, then smaller generators can be installed. Also, if the machine is only to supply the very basic power, such as lights during load shedding, then it need not have extreme load-bearing capacity.
However, if you want to run all the computers, copiers, or a data centre, you will need one of the higher capacity machines. Keep in mind that certain devices or machines may need more start-up power. As such, the generator chosen must be able to provide the initial high start-up power as well.
Next, consider how many hours the machine must run on average as such will affect the cost of maintenance and fuel.
Final Thought
We offer a large range of generators to meet standby power needs for commercial purposes. Get in touch with our consultants to assess your exact power needs and choose a generator that fits your energy supply requirements.