Feature
How Reliable Is Your Backup Power? As Power Shortages Loom, We Explore The Critical Role Of Regular Testing
Many businesses are well-aware of the impact a break in mission-critical power can have - from machinery in industrial settings, computers in banks, financial institutions, and data centres, to the need for constant power in our hospitals and operating theatres. With the energy crisis mounting and increasing speculation that businesses and homes will be subject to power cuts1
this winter,
power resilience should be high on the facilities management agenda.
Here, Paul Brickman, Commercial Director at Crestchic, a
specialist manufacturer
of load banks, explains the importance of regularly testing a backup power system and asks whether companies are doing enough to help mitigate the risks of power outages.
The Role Of Backup Power
Many facilities managers look to alleviate the catastrophic risk of power cuts by ensuring that they have backup power in place. Whether it’s ensuring the smooth running of necessities like heat, light, and utilities, or the mission- critical operation of specific machinery or systems – the economy’s reliance on uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) is on the up.
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Often taking the form of a backup generator, these systems are designed to “kick in”, providing a temporary power source that keeps businesses and facilities operational should the primary power source fail. As with any mission-critical machinery, regular maintenance is critical. Despite this, there still remains a worrying number of facilities that fail to regularly test their backup power system, despite it lying dormant for the majority of the year. Instead, facilities managers are putting their trust in fate, hoping that, in the event of an outage, the backup system will activate without fail. As the likelihood of power cuts rises, this practice is increasingly risky.
Test Your Generator, Before It Tests You
Wherever power is generated, there is also a need for a load bank - a device that is used to create an electrical load that imitates the operational or ‘real’ load that a generator would use in normal operational conditions. In short, the load bank is used to test, support, or protect a critical backup power source and ensure that it is fit for purpose in the event that it is called upon.
Ideally, all generators should be tested annually for real- world emergency conditions using a resistive-reactive 0.8pf load bank. Best practice dictates that all gensets (where there are multiple) should be run in a synchronised state, ideally for 8 hours but for a minimum of 3. In carrying out this testing and maintenance, fuel, exhaust
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