Backup Generators for Medical Facilities
As we experience an increase in natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, man-made disasters such as traffic accidents taking out utility poles, increases in severe weather patterns and storms, as well as unprecedented catastrophic worldwide events, hospitals and medical facilities are at the forefront of these emergencies. Any of these situations can lead to an influx of patients requiring medical attention in mission-critical situations where every second counts. Then comes a looming thought in the back of our minds – what if the power were to go out? Any one of the scenarios listed above can result in power loss due to a power outage not just for the hospital, but the surrounding areas as well.
So you may be wondering what would happen is a hospital were to lose power? The answer is simple. Hospitals may have patients already receiving care, in the recovery wards, or stabilized in the ICU after life-saving procedures. Hospitals that are not sufficiently equipped with a backup generator and experience power loss can lead to medical devices and life-saving equipment from functioning, which can put patients at risk.
When a natural disaster or unprecedented catastrophes occur, there may be an increase of patients requiring medical assistance. As we have seen in the past, hospitals that are not properly equipped with a backup generator and experience power loss will need to mobilize and transport patients to the nearest hospital that has power and can support the influx of patients, as well as access of using life saving medical devices and equipment.
Backup generators in hospitals aren’t strictly for keeping medical equipment and life-saving devices functional like oxygen pumps, ventilators, and powered surgical equipment, but they also keep heating & cooling systems working, security & detection systems running, keep the lights on, keep egress points like emergency exit lights visible, help maintain communications system both internally & externally, provide power to operating rooms, as well as keeps medical supplies such as blood, bone, plasma, and tissue samples stabilized in refrigerated storage.
Backup Generators for Hospitals
Installing a backup generator in a hospital is no simple task with many items to consider before moving forward with your purchase. When installing a backup generator into any facility, a master electrician will need to work with the electrical circuits to ensure the facility is properly setup to accept generator power. Always be sure to consult with specialists who can help you understand what needs to be done in order to install a generator at your facility.
When beginning your journey of generator selection, be sure to keep these items in mind and go over them with a specialist. This could be your electrical staff on-site, as well as the generator dealer you’re purchasing the generator from. A reputable dealer should be able to address your questions, as well as provide consultation on what you need to be on the lookout for when buying a generator.
Generator Size & Requirements
As stated above, buying a generator isn’t as simple as picking one out, then plugging it in. Aside from ensuring your facility is properly set up, you need to assess your power needs. For medical facilities, this may be difficult, because you not only have to calculate power requirements for regular day to day operations, but you also need to take into account any additional power requirements that may need to be met in times of emergency.
There are many resources available to help estimate and calculate generator power & size requirements, but we always recommend that you confirm with an expert for consultation. You can also elect to work directly with a generator dealer. A majority of dealers in the market specialize in new, used, and rental generators that will not only be able to help guide you through the consultation process, but can also make recommendations based on their experience.
Generator Type
There are two main types of standby commercial generators used for backup power, which are diesel and natural gas generators. As their names imply – these generators are categorized by what type of fuel they use. Both generator fuel types have their own benefits and detriments, which we’ll briefly go over.
Diesel Generators
Diesel generators are a very popular choice in the standby generator market and commonly installed used in many industries as the choice for backup power. Diesel generators are built sturdy and highly versatile, which allows for them to be leveraged throughout various different industries and applications. Diesel generators also require less overall maintenance intervals when compared to their natural gas counterparts.
A major drawback to diesel generator is their maximum runtime. Diesel generators are limited to their fuel tank capacity, which means that if your generator runs out of fuel, it will no longer be able to run. If you decide to install a commercial diesel generator as your backup power source, it’s imperative to work out a plan to regularly replenish your diesel fuel supply. If your plan includes diesel fuel delivery to your facility, keep in mind that it may prove difficult if there is inclement weather or a natural disaster that can impede the fuel delivery truck.
If preparing in advance, you can elect to secure and store external diesel fuel tanks that can be stored-on-site in the event of an emergency and moved to the generator location to replenish the diesel fuel tank.
Natural Gas Generators
While diesel generators may be a very popular choice, natural gas generators also have a lot of popularity, especially in urban areas. Natural gas generators are known to generally produce less noise, the fuel burns cleaner when compared to their diesel counterparts, and are able to be connected directly to the local gas line, which removes the need of fuel storage.
A drawback to natural gas generators is the need for more frequent maintenance requirements. In addition to this, if utility companies are forced to shut off the natural gas supply due to a natural disaster, natural gas generators will be rendered virtually inoperable.
While this makes natural gas generators seem like a poor choice, there may be options to install a conversion kit to the natural gas generator so that it is able to run off of liquid petroleum gas (or LPG for short) aka propane. A positive note is that propane gas is relatively easy to acquire and equally easy to refuel, replenish, and store.
Generator Installation Location
Usually when you install a backup generator for your facility, there are two main options for generator placement. This is usually located outside of your facility in a designated area or mounted on the roof of the building. The second option would be to install the generator indoors within a specific room, known as a designated generator room.
While both installation choices require adherence to local rules, regulations, and zoning requirements, a designated generator room requires extra measures taken to ensure the safety of staff & visitors alike, such as sound-attenuation and ventilation.
More information on designated generator room requirements can be found here: Generator Room Design Requirements
In either case, it’s important to adhere to all local building codes, including all fire codes and local emissions regulations. Be sure to check with an expert for consultation to help guide you through all these necessary steps and paperwork that will be require to successfully install the generator.
Autonomy
If you install a backup generator for your facility, it’s worth considering the installation of an automatic transfer switch (ATS for short), which will automatically prompt the generator to kick in after it detects power from the main power grid has been cut. When power from the main grid is restored, the generator will then be prompted to shut off.
Without the installation of an ATS, a staff member will need to be on-site to manually flip the switch on the generator controls to run the generator when a power outage occurs and must also be there to manually switch off the generator when power is restored.
Portable Generator Needs
There may be situations where hospitals may be at capacity and will not be able to handle the influx of all the patients due to a disaster or catastrophe. In these cases, there may be spillover facilities known as field hospitals, which are usually pop-up centers or facilities that have been converted to handle the extra patients.
Portable generator rentals are a robust solution to help provide power to equipment in these field hospitals. While field hospitals are usually detached from the main power grid due to location, a portable generator can provide power on-site to help run key medical equipment that may be required for life-saving procedures.
While there are many factors to consider before installing a generator for your hospital or medical facility, these are major points that should be considered before proceeding forward. If you have any questions or looking for more information regarding backup generators for your medical facility, please reach out to us at Woodstock Power Company!
610-658-3242
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