28 August 2014
By Marco da Silva,
Managing Director of Jasco Power
Unstable power
and extended power outages can have disastrous consequences for businesses
across many industries, from ICT and commercial enterprises to industrial,
manufacturing and even parastatals. The ability to work through these outages
is critical, and a UPS alone is not sufficient to provide enough run time.
Generator sets, more commonly referred to simply as generators, have thus
become essential equipment for many South African organisations. However,
generator sets are not a ‘one size fits all’ technology, and there are many
considerations and factors to bear in mind to ensure generators deliver as
required, ensuring automatic start up with rapid carry over and providing
enough electricity for all equipment during power outages.
For small
businesses, a simple generator solution is often sufficient and does not
require significant engineering. However, in larger enterprises with power
consumption requirements of 30kVa and more, there is a high level of
engineering required in order to ensure the correct solution is supplied and
configured for optimal functionality. From site assessment to bespoke application engineering, implementation including
electrical reticulation, distribution board installation and rigging, as well
as testing and commissioning, and related equipment such as UPSs and Automatic Voltage
Regulators (AVRs), generator solutions need to be customised and tailored to
the unique needs of an individual organisation. On top of this, cloud-based
services such as fuel monitoring can be implemented for additional value and
functionality. A bespoke, full service solution from an expert service
provider will help to avoid the numerous pitfalls of getting this
often-expensive investment wrong.
The first step in a full service solution is the site assessment. This is
crucial for a number of reasons. Firstly, the location of the generator needs
to be determined, both for delivery and installation. Cable runs and lengths of
cabling from the generator to the load need to be established, and an
assessment must be made to determine whether or not an extra distribution board
is necessary for the generator installation. The service provider can also
provide advise on the brand of generator the customer should consider in order
to meet their requirements and budget. In addition, a site assessment enables
the provider to accurately calculate the load requirements for the customer,
which then enables the correct sizing of the generator in terms of kVa.
Underestimating the load requirement wrong can have disastrous
consequences, including the inability to run all of the necessary equipment
during an outage and additional investment to correct the problem. It is
important to bear in mind here that if a UPS is connected to the generator,
which is typically the case, the generator needs to be oversized between 1.2 to
1.5 times in order to ensure the UPS does not choke the generator on startup.
Future growth should also be taken into account, although dramatically
oversizing a generator also has a negative impact of the functionality of the
generator. An under-loaded generator causes issues such as glazing of the ball
bearings, which can cause the generator to seize. For this reason, if a
generator is too far oversized, load banks or dummy loads need to be installed
to prevent problems, causing further expense. As a result, it is critical to
size the generator correctly up front.
Since all organisations are different, their power requirements and
environments are also different. A thorough site assessment will enable a power
expert to understand the dynamic situation and requirements of the customer.
Bespoke application engineering can then be applied to design a solution from
scratch, taking into account every facet of the environment and the various power
requirements. A generator set tailored specifically to the exacting needs of
the individual customer will ensure maximum functionality and return on
investment.
Once a solution
has been designed and manufactured according to the required specifications,
tested and delivered, it can be implemented on site. This is not simply a
matter of plugging the machinery in, but requires a comprehensive process to
ensure health and safety requirements are met and full functionality is
guaranteed. Firstly, the site needs to be prepared, which often involves the
laying of a concrete plinth, given the size and sheer weight of generator sets
for large applications. Given the large size and heavy weight of many generator
solutions, specialist rigging or trucking is often required to move the
generator from the factory to its final destination. This is a process that
requires specialist knowledge and skills to manoeuvre the equipment safely into
place.
When the
generator is in place on site, additional distribution boards need to be installed
if necessary and electrical reticulation needs to be completed to connect the
generator to the distribution boards that feed the facility. Distribution
boards should be designed and manufactured ahead of time with the correct
circuits for the individual customer, and the circuit breakers need to be sized
correctly for short circuits and overload situations to protect the
distribution board and reticulation. Cabling must be run in trenches under the
flooring, or along the walls and ceiling in cable trays, in order to meet
operational health and safety considerations, which requires extra care to
ensure cable lengths are accurate and properly designed. The generator should
then be fuelled and commissioned, and then tested to ensure full functionality.
A Service Level Agreement should then be concluded to ensure on-going
maintenance is covered according to requirements.
In addition to a generator set, additional equipment such as Surge and Lightning
protection should be installed on the distribution board to prevent damage from
power surges. A UPS and an AVR are also considered essential equipment, and
should ideally be obtained from the same service provider as the generator set.
This ensures that a suitable turnkey solution can be delivered to the customer
in terms of both power quality and power assurance to meet their configuration
and loading needs. It will also prevent compatibility issues between the
generator and the UPS, which can cause operational difficulties with the
solution.
In order to deliver additional value and functionality, some service
providers also offer a range of cloud-based solutions that enhance the
generator set solution. This includes intelligent monitoring of run time, battery
voltage, consumption mediums, fuel levels, fuel consumption, efficiency, when
servicing is required and more. Using an IP-connected probe, which is submerged
in the generator’s fuel tank and connected back to a cloud server via GPRS or
satellite, a real-time online monitoring platform enables organisations to gain
a more accurate picture of their generator solution. Designated users within
the organisation can log in to view a variety of graphs related to their
generator set as well as more details on alarms using tablets, smartphones or
computers.
Fuel monitoring is particularly important to prevent theft, as if this is
not monitored it can become a significant problem. Alarms can be configured to
alert designated personnel to theft of fuel as well as contamination of the
diesel with foreign content such as paraffin or water, a trick commonly used by
thieves to disguise the missing diesel. Monitoring solutions can also alert
organisations when fuel needs to be refilled, as well as when tanks are
overfilled. Alerts are customised according to the exacting needs of the
individual customer. This gives organisations a far greater level of control
over their generator solution, which is essential in environments where
generators are a critical piece of equipment. Intelligent technology and
cloud-based solutions offer a number of value-added features and functionality
that can help organisations to leverage maximum returns and ensure the highest
possible levels of control over their solution.
Generators are fast becoming critical business equipment in South Africa,
given the increases in frequency and duration of power outages and the
likelihood that the situation will continue to deteriorate in the future.
However, when it comes to procuring a generator set solution, there is no
generic approach that will work for every organisation. Enterprises should
examine not only the generator brand and technology, but also the supplier,
their skills, expertise and ability, as well as the value added services and
SLA capabilities on offer. It is vitally important that solutions are
customised and developed to specification in terms of brand, model, form factor
and output, in order to address the unique environmental challenges of each
individual customer. A supplier that is agnostic with regard to engine and
alternator brands, and has the capability to have the generator manufactured
according to specifications, will be better positioned to deliver a solution
that not only meets requirements, but also budgetary constraints as well.
Service Level Agreements are also essential, as generators require
servicing to ensure they continue to function smoothly and efficiently. Bespoke
full service generator solutions from an expert power provider with experience
in both power assurance and power quality will help organisations to maximise
cost effectiveness, efficiency and return on investment from their generator
set.
About the author
Marco da Silva
has more than a decade of experience in all areas of the power sector. He began
his career as a sales and marketing executive at FerroTech. After just over two
years in this position, he was appointed General Manager, in charge of overseeing
all operational activities. He held this position for nearly seven years, and
was then appointed Operations Director at FerroTech. FerroTech was acquired by
the Jasco Group in 2012, and in February 2014 da Silva was appointed Managing
Director of Jasco Power.