Importance of Backup Power:
Reliable electricity supply is crucial for homes and businesses. However, power outages are a fact of life that can strike at any time, whether due to storms, equipment failures or other reasons. While power companies work hard to minimize disruptions, it is impossible to have 100% reliability in the power grid. This is why backup power solutions have become essential for both domestic and commercial users. A backup power system keeps the lights on and critical devices working during an outage, preventing huge inconveniences and losses.
Types of Backup Power Solutions:
There are various types of backup power solutions available depending on the scale of needs:
Standby Generators: Standby generators are the most common residential backup power choice. An automatic standby generator is permanently installed outside the home and connected to the existing electrical wiring. It seamlessly takes over power supply in case of a grid failure, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the whole home or selected circuits. Standby generators run on gasoline, propane or natural gas and can power entire homes including air conditioners during outages.
Portable Generators: Portable generators are handy for occasional or temporary power needs at home like during do-it-yourself projects or short-term outages. However, they have to be manually started and connected during an outage by the user. Portable generators have lesser power capacity than standby models and run on gasoline. They may be sufficient to power essential appliances like fans, refrigerator etc but not central air conditioning systems.
Solar generators: Solar generators harness renewable solar power during sunlit hours to charge their built-in lithium battery banks. In an outage, the stored energy from the battery is then used to power connected devices using AC or DC outlets. Solar generators are portable, fuel-less units suitable for camping, construction sites etc. Their drawback is lower capacity compared to gasoline models limiting the number of devices that can be supported simultaneously.
Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS): A UPS protects computers and sensitive electronic devices from momentary voltage fluctuations and mini outages. It instantly switches to battery backup within milliseconds of detecting a problem in the incoming utility power. Desktop and rack mount UPS ranging from less than 1 kVA to over 50 kVA are used in homes and large businesses respectively for data center, networking equipment protection.
Factors to Consider While Choosing Backup Power Solutions:
There are several factors to deliberate over based on one’s unique backup needs:
Power Requirements: First estimate the total wattage of all appliances and devices needing backup power. Choose a generator with higher capacity to avoid overloading. Don’t forget startup wattage surges of large equipments.
Run Time: Consider how long power should last during common and worst-case outage scenarios. Generous fuel tanks provide longer run times of 8 hours or more for standby models.
Installation: Standby automatic generators require professional installation and wiring to integrate with a home’s electrical system. Portable options are plug-and-play.
Fuel Type: Gasoline has more storage issues than natural gas or liquid propane (LP) options which are cleaner burning too. Consider fuel availability during emergencies.
Automatic Operation: Automatic transfer switches are smarter for permanently installed generators as they detect outages and start the generator without manual intervention.
Maintenance: All generators need periodic maintenance, servicing and replacement of parts like spark plugs, oil filters etc. Proper maintenance ensures long life and reliable operation during crises.
Applications of Backup Power:
Backup power has become indispensable for critical services and industries. Some key applications include:
Data Centers: To provide continual power availability for Data servers, networking equipment and avoid expensive downtime.
Healthcare Facilities: For life-saving equipment operation in hospitals, nursing homes, medical laboratories and testing facilities.
Telecom Towers: To keep telecom infrastructure online and enable uninterrupted voice and data services.
Banking: To securely operate ATM machines, maintain transaction logs in case of any outage disruptions.
Water Supply: To power water pumping stations and purification plants for continuous potable water provision to communities.
Manufacturing Facilities: To facilitate steady production processes and prevent work stoppages in manufacturing plants.
Disaster Response: Portable generators help disaster response teams in powering relief and communication equipment during emergencies.
Commercial Offices: For business continuity to retain sensitive files, allow remote working and avoid loss of productivity or revenue.
The economic and livelihood disruptions from power outages make Backup Power Systems a necessity rather than luxury in today's world. While annual costs are involved, reliable backup power prevents massive losses that can potentially run into millions for businesses and critical services. Homeowners also gain invaluable peace of mind knowing their families and property remain safe even during prolonged grid failures. With various options available to suit all budgets, evaluating one's power backup needs and investing in a suitable solution makes complete sense.
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A recent report published by TheBusinessResearchCompany on Power Generators Market provides in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the global as well as regional.The Power Generators Global Market Report 2020 which provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global power generators market.
The report covers the power generators market’s segments- gas generator, diesel generator, CKD generator, below 75kva, 75-375 kva, 375-750 kva, above 750 kva, stand by, peak shaving, continuous, mining, oil & gas, construction, residential, marine, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, commercial, and others.Power Generators Global Market Report 2020 is the most comprehensive report available on this market and will help gain a truly global perspective as it covers 60 geographies.
The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by region and by country.It also compares the market’s historic and forecast growth.
It covers all the regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets.
It draws comparisons with country populations and economies to understand the importance of the market by country and how this is changing.
The major regions included in the report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.Generator manufacturing companies are increasingly manufacturing portable generators.
