August 2015 is a day that will forever remain significant to residents of BC’s south coast. The township was hit by a massive storm which left downtown roads impassable due to trees which had toppled all over and a blackout that lasted for hours on end. According to a report by BC hydro, approximately 500, 000 people were left in the dark that day while many others still had no electricity two days later.
Unfortunately, the power outage often means losses to many businesses because not much can be achieved. That is why it is essential for a company to be prepared for anything that might come up and one way to do that is through generator docking. Once it’s set up, a docking station offers a single point to connect a portable generator and once there is a power outage, all a business person needs to do is connect the generator to the tap box, switch from the standard power supply system to the temporary portable generator.
We recently had an interview with an experienced electrical engineer who emphasized on why it is essential to have a generator docking station set up in your business premise or even at home and below are some of the crucial tips we collected for you.
Safety Purposes
One of the first ethics of a business is that it should ensure all the employees and visitors are safe at all times. Without a generator docking station that is not possible because it means the power cable has to run from a generator to the main electrical room which is often not in a suitable spot.
Everything Runs As It Should
Lacking power backup could cost your business a lot of money. For instance, in a report released by the electrical power research institute, power outages cost the country as a whole approximately $104 and $164 billion in a year because they are not able to get the bounce back to business as soon as possible. That is why having a generator could prove to be lifesaving. Reason being, the company can quickly connect their generator to the docking station and continue with its activities of the day.
It’s Not A Matter Of Ifs
Before last August no resident of lower mainland BC would have believed that there would be a mass blackout incidence until it did. A body is known as Allianz global corporate and specialty(AGCS) recently announced that people should expect more blackouts due to aging infrastructure and a few other factors and in BC, the risk often differs depending on the location. For instance, most of the mountainous areas of BC often undergo such incidences due to storms which topple trees on the power lines.
Findings from a survey conducted by BC Hydro show that regions such as Haida Gwaii might experience an outage which lasts up to thirty-six hours annually. That is why when you consider all these facts it is only advisable that you back up your business using a generator docking station and avoid risking the loss of profits and customers. It’s not a matter of ifs but a matter of business as usual.
Generator Docking Stations Are Economical
Even though larger institutions such as schools, hospitals, and other more significant setups use permanent backup solutions such as generators, they are quite costly and not an ideal solution for small business owners. For instance, according to a particular engineer magazine, installing a permanent 100Kw generator costs approximately USD 57,000 while setting up the same generator as a temporary solution costs about USD 16,000 and that is inclusive of the costs of installation and the purchase.
Thus when you consider all the benefits which come with installing a generator docking station and the low price of installation it is only reasonable if you take that path and secure your business from any uncertainties in future.
Written by Fox Fab – Portable Generator Tap Box