Does your building contain an emergency power supply system (EPSS) that receives infrequent maintenance or has not been updated in years? Without the proper maintenance and upgrades, emergency generation systems can become unreliable and inefficient. If this describes the EPSS in your facility, the following services could increase its reliability and efficiency, and make it ready for the next power outage.
Infrared Scanning
Infrared scanning detects problems in electrical equipment by sensing abnormal heat patterns. Affordable and efficient, infrared scanning can often be completed in a single session, and certain problems can be fixed on the spot. If your building's EPSS hasn't been scanned in over a year, scanning it now could reveal load imbalances, loose connections, and failing equipment. If left unaddressed, these problems could cause injuries or equipment damage.
Load bank Testing
In load bank testing, a generator is exercised under a load delivered by a load bank - a process that tests its emergency power generation capability. Load bank testing is recommended for generators that operate at less than 30 percent of their nameplate Kilowatt rating during a 30-minute monthly test. Official guidelines for monthly and annual load bank testing are contained in National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) standard 110.
Retrofitting and Modernization
Retrofitting and modernization measures can increase a generator's efficiency and ensure that it complies with the latest codes. Certain measures can even save significant money. For example, outfitting a diesel generator with a Bi Fuel system can replace up to 70 percent of its fuel with natural gas on an energy equivalent basis - an arrangement that both decreases fuel cost and increases generator run time by up to 70 percent.
Scheduled Maintenance
Though it may not run often, a generator still requires frequent maintenance. Monitoring the condition of the transfer switch, paralleling gear, storage batteries, and other components is critical to ensuring that a generator operates correctly when an outage occurs. Scheduled maintenance should be performed on a monthly basis by trained EPSS technicians.
Other Services
The services above are critical for maintaining the reliability and efficiency of an EPSS. However, they are not the only power services that a commercial building needs. In addition to having their building's EPSS serviced and upgraded as needed, building owners should also have breaker testing and arc flash analysis performed. Both services can improve the safety of electrical systems, protecting workers from injury and company assets from damage.
Call Prime Power Today
To learn more about the services above and how they can benefit your facility, call Prime Power - a provider of commercial and industrial power generation services for nearly 30 years. At Prime Power, we serve large and small commercial and industrial facilities by providing:
• breaker testing
• load bank testing
• healthcare utility management
• modernization and retrofits
• new installations
• arc flash analysis and training
• infrared scanning
• scheduled maintenance
• generator rentals
If your EPSS needs service after months or years of inattention, don't wait for a power outage or dangerous arc event to happen. Call the experts at Prime Power today.
