For most of us, power outages are merely an annoyance. Though they may not happen often, they are usually minor inconveniences that don’t make a big impact unless they occur for days on end, which tends to be quite unusual. Nevertheless, we can usually deal with the fact that we may not have any lights for a few hours or that we can’t cook dinner on the electric range or that the heater or A/C is off for a while.
Of course, many homeowners opt for installing a generator that offers back-up power should an outage occur. A generator means we don’t have to suffer that interruption of service. It’s a nice convenience, but not everyone needs or wants one.
However, there are some instances where an emergency power system is essential, including in places like hospitals and other facilities. Government offices, in addition, benefit from emergency power installations that will keep them going even when a power outage brings the rest of the area to a halt.
What’s an emergency power system?
An emergency power system is a type of continual power system, which means that it can reliably supply large amounts of uninterrupted power. These emergency power systems are installed not only to protect lives, such as in hospitals or other nursing facilities, but also property including physical and intellectual property. They’re often used by data centers, scientific laboratories, telecommunications facilities, and many other locations where an interruption of power could have horrendous consequences.
An emergency power system, of course, must rely on something other than electricity. That might include batteries, generators, fuel cells, and more. One of the first uses of emergency power systems, as a matter of fact, was onboard World War II ships, which regularly lost boilers during combat. As such, diesel engines were installed and used to drive back-up generators.
Emergency power systems for government buildings
At Western Oil Services, we understand the importance of uninterrupted service for our clients who simply can’t afford to be without power. This includes a number of government offices such as the City of Coquitlam, Public Works Canada, and others.
In many locations, government operations are required to have emergency power systems in place. These systems kick on immediately (within about 10 seconds) and are put in place to make sure all life safety systems are powered, such as exit lighting, elevators, fire alarm systems, and more. They are generally completely separate from the building’s normal power system, which means they have their own panels, transfer stations, and conduit runs.
Of course, while protecting government employees in the event of a power outage is important, quite often the task of protecting stored data is equally as essential. Because these data centers require constant electricity, they may employ a different kind of emergency power system than other companies or venues. In some cases, diesel generators are the answer while others need a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) or both options to protect computers, communication networks, and other electronic devices.
What will you need?
If you operate a government building that needs an emergency power system, your needs will obviously be different than if you were considering an emergency power installation for your home. That means you need to calculate your power needs and examine them carefully, usually with a help of an expert such as a member of the staff of Western Oil Services.
Indeed, every building is unique and every operation needs something that’s particular to what it does each day. So, if you’re shopping for an emergency system, start by contacting a company like Western Oil, whose employees are well-versed in generator services and emergency power equipment installation. By scheduling a consultation with one of Western Oil’s professionals, you’ll be able to devise the proper solution for your government building’s unique emergency power support needs.
For more information about our work with emergency power installations, to view some of the work we’ve completed for similar clients, or to discuss any of your power needs, call us at 1-800-663-2097 to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our experts in the field.