Contingency Plans: Portable Generator Rentals
During peak times of natural disasters such as out of the hurricane season, there is always a risk of unexpected power loss due to power outages. While some businesses have taken pre-emptive measures of installing backup generators for these situations, there are some businesses that either have not gotten around to creating an emergency backup power plan yet or simply cannot accommodate the space needed to install a stationary generator on-site at their facility. For businesses that are looking into options to provide backup power to their facility, a portable generator rental may be a sound solution to add to your contingency plan to keep your business running.
What Is a Portable Generator?
When you hear the word “backup generator”, most think of a standby generator (also known as a stationary generator), which are generators installed in a weatherproof enclosure outside a business or facility to provide backup power during events like power outages to keep operations going. A portable generator is similar to a standby generator, but they are mounted to a heavy-duty trailer and configured for external connections to a facility or powered equipment. Most often, portable generators are configured for diesel fuel and can be transported via tow hitch from location to location as needed. Portable generators provide many of the same benefits of a standby generator, but in a towable form factor to provide both short-term and long-term rental options. This means that if you are looking for a rental just for peak times such as hurricane season or winter, the generator rental can be delivered on-site and picked up at the end of the rental term. Portable generators are extremely versatile and aren’t used explicitly for rental purposes to respond to power outages, but can be used for construction projects that are remote and located off the main power grid, new construction where the electrical utility has not yet been installed, outdoor recreational events like festivals, mining, etc.
What Is a Contingency Plan?
A contingency plan is very common in business and it’s a guideline of what actions need to be taken in situations such as a power outage. The guidelines can cover what employees need to do, whether they need to vacate the premises, rally points, or for facilities management – if there are any backup power solutions available and the best course of action to take.
For example, businesses that may have lost power in the past and are anticipating potential power outages during hurricane season will work with a generator dealer that provides portable generator rentals to secure a generator when backup power is needed. This could be either by having the generator delivered prior to the start of the hurricane season to act as standby or to set up a delivery option where you would call the generator dealer when the power goes out.
It’s important to note that it’s often difficult to secure a backup generator rental during peak times of natural disasters like hurricane season, because there will be many businesses looking to rent a generator during events of power outages. In order to prevent having to scramble to secure a generator rental at the time of need, many generator dealers provide options such as generator rental reservations. Many generator dealers allow customers to provide information such as power needs and location, then place a deposit on a generator rental for the required power rating. The generator will be placed on hold and will be reserved for that customer specifically and deployed if/when it is needed.
Are Portable Generators Plug & Play?
While portable generators can be beneficial for many businesses to serve as temporary short-term and long-term backup power solutions, it is not as simple as renting the generator, having it delivered, and plugging into it. In order to begin using a portable generator to provide power, the building or facility must be set up prior to ensure that it can safely and properly accept generator power. This process is often conducted by a master electrician, but many generator dealers are able to send out one of their own technicians to handle the process as well.
Additional Information
While renting a portable generator may be a great solution for short-term needs, it’s important to consider the duration and frequency of rentals. If you find that your business is often renting a portable generator to provide backup power during peak seasons, it may eventually hit a point where the overall cost of a generator rental amounts to the same as, if not more, than purchasing a standby generator and installing it on-site at your location. While this mainly applies to businesses that can accommodate the space to install a standby generator, the same could apply to a business that is often renting due to lack of installation space. Portable generators aren’t solely available for rent, but they’re also able to be purchased and owned by a business to have on-hand or stored locally and transported to the facility when the need arises.
Fuel will also be a major consideration when relying on a portable generator. A majority of portable generator rentals are diesel generators, where there must be a steady supply of diesel fuel available to ensure the generator can continue running. This also applies to standby diesel generators as well. It’s important to add diesel fuel delivery to your contingency plan, which can often experience obstacles in situations of natural disasters such as blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornados. Personnel must also be available to oversee and operate the portable generator to ensure that it is properly fueled and operating safely.
There are a lot of items to consider when creating a contingency plan and many more factors involved when finalizing details. If a portable generator rental or standby generator is part of your plan, but not sure where to start? Reach out to us as Woodstock Power Company. While we cover a lot of the basics here, there are many items to review and consider before making your decision and we’re here to help!
We have a full rental fleet ready to deploy and a large inventory of both new and used generators available for those looking to install a more permanent backup power solution on-site at their facility. Our project managers are available to provide consultation, answer any questions you may have, secure generator rental reservations, and help you discuss whether a portable generator rental or a standby generator may be the better option for you.
Fill out our Contact Form, give us a call, or send us an email.
610-658-3242
Additional Resources:
Hurricane Season: Station or Portable Generators?
The Woodstock Power Company Experience
Woodstock Power Company specializes in buying and selling new, used, surplus, and rental generators. We work with companies all across the country, including top Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. We provide key details regarding each generator we have in stock within our inventory and our generators are all inspected, serviced, maintained, and load bank tested to ensure a smooth generator installation process.
If you are looking to work with us for your commercial generator needs, you can head on over to our inventory page to check out what we have in-stock or give us a call. We would be more than happy to speak with you and help meet your needs.
We have industry experts that focus on commercial generator sets, with in-depth industry knowledge to help you choose the right generator that fits your needs.
We are industry leaders in buying and selling used generators to fit the needs of many businesses, including commercial, industrial, medical, agricultural, and university. This includes facilities like hospitals, better living centers, nursing home, airports, hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail centers, manufacturing, production, and more.
Our experts are ready to assist you from answering any questions you may have about power generator sets to helping you find the best selection in our inventory based on:
- Peak & Average Power Requirements
- Fuel Preference (Natural Gas or Diesel)
- Portability & Stationary Power
- Prime & Standby Generator Requirements
- Available Space & Exhaust Restrictions
We carry only the most top rated new, used, and surplus power generator sets for sale, providing you with a great value generator that will fit your budget.
Our generators have been thoroughly inspected, serviced, and verified, which ensures that you will be buying a quality generator that you can depend on. If a generator is not up to par with industry standards, we make all necessary repairs or modifications, and fully test every generator before we sell. This ensures a full turnkey generator that’s ready to fire up and go!
Due to our wide selection of generator sets, we’re confident that we can find the model that best suits your operational needs and budget.
We also buy used generators in good quality, if you have already upgraded and you’re looking to sell your older model.
Feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns, or inquiries to learn more about the Woodstock Power Company experience and the quality level of products & services we provide.
Woodstock Power Company sells new, used, surplus, and rental generators. We work with companies all across the country, including top Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. We provide key details regarding each generator we have in stock within our inventory and our generators are all inspected, serviced, maintained, and load bank tested to ensure a smooth generator installation process.