Backup Power for Malls and Shopping Centers

Your shopping center relies on a consistent power supply to provide a safe, comfortable and seamless shopping environment for customers and retailers. When emergencies, accidents, natural disasters or other situations arise, a backup generator ensures your building is prepared to maintain safety and continued operations.

Why Is Backup Power Important for Malls and Shopping Centers?

A backup power solution is critical to protecting your bottom line and brand reputation. The power can go out for several reasons, from natural disasters to utility failures. Planned power outages are another consideration. Whatever the reason behind the power outage, if you are unprepared, your shopping center could experience downtime and revenue loss.

Electricity is critical for many applications throughout a mall, such as point-of-sale (POS) systems, internet connectivity, lighting, air conditioning and security systems. With adequate backup power supply, your shopping center can experience benefits such as:

Continued operation: With reliable backup power, your shopping mall can stay open to the public, and retailers can continue to operate as usual. Critical equipment and systems, such as cash registers and POS systems, will remain operational, enabling your tenants to mitigate downtime and maintain productivity.
Improved security: A continuous power supply is essential to maintaining safety on your property. Backup power ensures your security systems remain functional to protect shoppers, retail staff and management personnel.
Protected revenue: When you keep your doors open, you maintain consistent revenue streams. Choosing the right backup power system enables your tenants to stay open and defend against profit loss during a power outage.
Maintained environment: Electricity powers the air conditioning and lighting needed to make your mall comfortable for shoppers and retail staff. You can maintain exceptional shopper and staff experiences with reliable backup power.
Enhanced tenant acquisition and retention: Retailers want a stable commercial rental that allows them to keep their doors open and the shopping environment comfortable. Backup power solutions allow you to offer steady operations, making it easier to attract and retain tenants.
General safety: Ensuring key systems such as emergency lighting, elevators, HVAC systems for heating and cooling, and egress signs also play a vital role when it comes to shopping centers and malls. Not only does it help keep property management employees safe, but it also provides safety and security for tenants, tenant employees, and just as important – the customers as well.

Common Types of Backup Power for Shopping Centers

Malls often choose to support and protect their operations with standby generators and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems.

Standby Generators

A standby generator for a mall can provide long-term power for retailers and management operations. Their operating time duration depends on the generator’s fuel type and configuration:

Diesel: Diesel generators offer reliable performance, but they are limited by their fuel tank capacity. Fuel tanks need to be replenished from on-site storage tanks or reliable deliveries to extend generator operation.
Natural gas: Natural gas units connect directly to the local gas pipeline. Generator operation can be interrupted if utility companies need to shut off pipelines due to circumstances such as natural disasters.

UPS Systems

UPS systems provide a continuous power supply when main power sources fail, but only for short-term power outage needs. It is ideal to pair them with standby generators for a longer-lasting backup power solution. Heavy-duty UPS systems can keep critical equipment, such as data servers, up and running until the standby generator kicks in.

When using a UPS system, consider which key components and equipment it will cover during a power outage. There are various systems on the market that offer a range of features, such as durability, resilience or high tolerances for power issues. Depending on your facility, you may need to install multiple redundant UPS systems to help mitigate downtime.

What to Consider When Choosing a Backup Power Source

The right generator type for your shopping center depends on various factors, such as your budget for fuel and maintenance costs or any local regulations you need to adhere to. The generator’s size, installation requirements and noise levels may also affect your decision.

Fuel Type, Storage and Cost

When selecting a backup generator, you will need to decide between diesel or natural gas. Each fuel type offers different benefits and considerations depending on your needs:

Diesel: A diesel generator is versatile and requires less maintenance than a natural gas unit. You will need to plan for on-site storage or consistent deliveries to ensure you have enough fuel to operate the generator.
Natural gas: Natural gas generators burn fuel cleaner than diesel units do, and they don’t require fuel storage. This configuration does need more frequent maintenance, and gas supply can be interrupted if utility companies need to shut off the line.

Installation, Repair and Maintenance Needs

UPS systems and standby generators require professional installation to ensure they integrate successfully into your facility and meet your specific needs. When selecting a generator, partner with backup power supply experts who can evaluate your space and install your generator properly.

All generators need regular maintenance to prepare them for emergency situations and planned power outages. Natural gas units will need more frequent attention than diesel ones. An actionable maintenance plan that accounts for potential repair needs and various maintenance costs is key to ensuring your generator is ready to perform when needed while staying within your budget.

Safety

Choosing the right backup generator for your property is critical to safety. You will need to think about factors such as:

Power: You must calculate your power needs to ensure your generator is properly sized to handle your requirements. Exceeding a generator’s power rating can overload the generator and cause damage.
Noise: Commercial generators are loud and can cause serious damage to those who go near them without protective gear, such as earmuffs. Generally, diesel generators are known to produce more noise than natural gas ones. Often times – backup generators are installed away from easy access to the public and are often closed off to employees in different departments that do not deal with facilities management.
Ventilation: Generators must be run in well-ventilated areas away from the general public to reduce risks of carbon monoxide poisoning. They are best stored outdoors, but if you must keep them inside, ensure the generator room is properly ventilated in a dedicated generator room.
Fuel type: Diesel is one of the least flammable fossil fuels, making it relatively safe to handle and clean up. Natural gas is highly combustible and can explode in concentrated amounts when exposed to an ignition source. Be sure to consider the pros and cons of both fuel types.

Local Regulations

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 110 standards outline requirements for emergency and standby power systems. When installing a backup generator, it is best to meet with an expert who knows the NFPA 110 standards and how they will apply to your shopping center. A professional installer will also know the best ways to use backup power for your shopping center to align with local building codes and environmental regulations.

Contact Woodstock Power Company for Reliable Backup Power Solutions

Finding the most suitable backup generator for your shopping center is easy when you partner with Woodstock Power Company. Our industry experts possess in-depth knowledge and extensive experience, so you can rely on them to help you evaluate your needs and choose the right generator. We have thoroughly inspected, serviced and verified each of our generators to ensure you get a dependable, long-lasting unit.

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