You never realize how much you need something until it’s gone. That’s not us being sentimental. We’re in the business of helping out when disaster strikes—and often there’s little or no electricity in our workspaces. It’s bad enough being without power at home when you want to watch TV or walk around the house. But it’s quite a different story for businesses.
For businesses, no electricity means no customers and no work. It means loss of revenue, frustrated customers, and workers who are unable to get their jobs done. In other words, no power equals a whole lot of stress.
However, having a generator ready to step in when you lose power at work can help to relieve this stress. Power disruption doesn’t have to mean business disruption. But how do you know what kind of generator you need?
Evaluating Your Options
Generators are available in different sizes, allowing you to match one to your business’s power needs. The generator used by a hospital isn’t going to be the same generator appropriate for a small business. To start, there are single-phase and three-phase generators, in addition to different ranges for each. When evaluating the requirements of your business, you need to be ready to personalize your generator around your specific needs.
It’s easy to assume that not having to use a generator 24 hours a day means that you can get away with using a smaller model. Remember that this isn’t necessarily the case; in terms of a generator, more power is usually better. You need to truly think about what your business will require in times of power disruption. If you choose something quickly and it proves to not be powerful enough for your needs, you could find yourself with a generator having capacity overload. This could equate to your having to experience power disruption all over again.
If you are unsure of what you need, it’s always a great idea to ask your electrical contractor for their recommendation.
Know Your Needs
To get started, make a list.
- What type of business do you have?
- Is it a large industrial or commercial space?
- Are you a small business owner?
- What specific items require electricity? (Computers, factory appliances, industrial tools, etc.)
- What is the starting and running wattage for these items?
- What is your total power need, in kW? In kVA?
- Is your area prone to power disruptions or is it a rare occurrence?
- Do you have any equipment that uses large electric motors, like in a workshop?
With this information, you can now search for the best fit for you. However, if you’re unsure of the answers to these questions, talk to your head of maintenance before you begin your search. The perfect generator for you means business continuity, avoiding system failures, and continuing to run your business as usual.
