backup power can protect your business

Running a business is really hard.

You have countless things that you have to deal with, from marketing to compliance work to making payroll. The last thing you want is another unexpected problem to come out of the blue which can abruptly stop your operations and costing you and your business thousands of dollars.

Unfortunately, blackouts and main power grid failures are a large threat to your business. A blackout that only lasts a few hours can halt your business for the day, costing you in time and money. Moreover, there is also other indirect costs that may affect your business as well. Since production and logistics are completely stopped during blackouts, you may not be able to prepare and fulfil client order requirements and deliver to them on time. This may have a detrimental impact on your business' relationship with your customers, which may worsen customer retention.

This is why it is imperative that you have safeguards in place so that backup power can protect your business.

 

Why Do Blackouts Occur And What Are The Effects?

Blackouts generally occur in Australia when temperature rises. This causes circuits to overload fuses and causes power surges. As a protection measure, the power supply automatically shuts down to prevent further damage.

Damage can be caused anywhere along the mains power infrastructure, which is why it usually takes anywhere from hours to days for the damage to be fixed and for power to be restored.

In 2016, it was reported by the ABC that the blackouts in South Australia had cost businesses more than $367 million. The blackouts had occurred varying from a few hours to a few days depending on the areas affected. Businesses of all shapes and sizes were affected, with even companies such as Arrium, BHP Billiton and OZ Minerals reported to have incurred a loss. In the past few months alone, over 90,000 homes and businesses were affected by blackouts in Melbourne, and over 40,000 people were affected in Sydney.

This depicts the grim reality that all states in Australia are prone and vulnerable to blackouts at any time. The best way to protect your business from blackouts is with backup power.

While the Federal and State Governments are working tirelessly to build power systems that are resilient against blackouts, we are still a long way away from this becoming a reality.

Hence, it is extremely important that you as a business owner or manager diagnose and identify whether your business is at risk of blackouts. The assessment would determine whether your operations would cease should you lose access to continuous power during a blackout.

Consider whether you have any machinery or tools that require continuous power and how important these may be to your operation and whether you can afford them not operating for hours or days on end.

 

Businesses without diesel generators are forced to close during a power outage in Sydney.[/caption]

 

Setting Up Backup Power

The good news is that there is a great way for you to protect your business with backup power. This is through using a Diesel Generator as a backup power source to protect your business.

We usually recommend Diesel generators for the following reasons:

  1. Operating a business without backup energy can turn out to be a huge risk. This risk can be mitigated by having diesel generator as a backup source of energy;
  2. Diesel Generators are extremely reliable and are relatively cheap to purchase - which is exactly what you need if you're a small business;
  3. Even if the power does not black out entirely, but just drops, a diesel generator is able to offset the power loss; and
  4. A diesel generator can actually cut down your costs since they are economical to run.

Gogopower recommends that you plan and designate space within your business property for an alternate power source. Ensure that it is close enough to a port where you can connect your electricity infrastructure to.

From here, you should decide your budget and determine your needs. Here's a guide on how to decide which diesel generator that is right for you. 

Diesel generators do not require much space, depending on the size and needs of your business. Diesel generators range from 10 kVA to 1250 kVA. We have also written a guide on how to can decide which size diesel generator you may need.

Diesel generators also come with hot-wire capabilities, or sockets pre-installed on the Generator. If you're purchasing a diesel generator from Gogopower, we will perform all the necessary diagnostics and inform you of the most suitable and feasible solution.

Depending on the requirement, Gogopower can also supply Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS) and Load Banks. Recently, Gogopower is implementing DSE Webnet into its Diesel Generators which gives you a complete access through web and mobile application to control your diesel generator when you are away.

Once you have decided to purchase a diesel generator, all you need to do is to install it. Your backup power will then be ready to use in case of emergencies and power outages.

Rest assured knowing that your business is protected with backup power, saving you time and cash in the long run.