Should You Consider Storm Running?

Have you ever considered operating your existing standby generator(s) preventatively for storm-running purposes? Under what circumstances would I use my generator for storm running? What is the cost to my business of an outage caused by an electrical disturbance? And just what is the battery running in the first place?

Storm running is the operation of a standby generator to isolate sensitive electrical loads from the normal utility source in anticipation of severe weather before an electrical outage occurs. These days, there are a number of good-quality weather websites which give up-to-the-minute radar displays. Some customers will elect to start their generating system and separate from their usual utility source when they see bad weather approaching. This is because they know that lightning, sometimes many miles away, can affect the operation of their production facility, data center, or commercial business. These storms can cause unexpected power loss for brief periods or hours. The effects may not necessarily be just in the form of outright outages. Sometimes the utility voltage quality will suffer, which can cause problems with sensitive equipment. Voltage dips & swells can wreak havoc with today’s complex electronic controls. If a production line is disrupted, even momentarily, production may have to be scrapped. The cleanup and restart of the line may take hours and may cut into bottom-line productivity.

However, if a customer can fire up their generator prior to the storm’s approach, they can operate isolated from the utility, also called “island” mode, until the weather danger has passed. Then the facility power can be transferred back to the normal utility source.

The cost of the fuel used should be considered as an insurance hedge against loss of production or downtime that outages or poor power quality may cause.

A word of caution, however: Environmental regulations may restrict a generator operator’s ability to storm run, or the time a generator may be used for storm running. Check with your environmental permitting authority to determine whether storm running is allowed under your environmental permit, and if so, for how many hours per year?

If you have questions related to storm running or any other aspect of generator operations, feel free to contact us through the “Contact Us” page.