This article is sponsored by the Propane Education & Research Council. To learn more visit PowerWithPropane.com.
Protecting Your Business With A Propane Standby Generator
How prepared is your business for a power outage? It’s an important question to ask yourself, because sooner or later, you’ll be faced with a power interruption. In 2014, the United States suffered 3,634 power outages, affecting more than 14 million people.
If that doesn’t have you worried, consider this: a power interruption of just a few hours will cost a midsize business an average of $14,000. For some businesses, that’s not an hourly figure, those are minute-to-minute losses, and it doesn’t include backlogged production, hours to be made up in overtime, or damage to your reputation.
The Ideal Standby Power Fuel
A propane standby generator is the safety net that can eliminate much of this risk, because propane offers significant advantages over other sources of backup power.
• Businesses located off of natural gas lines can still take advantage of propane’s performance.
• It doesn’t degrade over time, like gasoline or diesel, so your propane generator will start automatically, less than 10 seconds after a power interruption.
• It’s a non-toxic, non-poisonous fuel that won’t contaminate soil or water like gasoline and diesel.
• Propane produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared with gasoline or diesel, reducing your business’ carbon footprint.
• It burns cleanly, so propane standby generators require less maintenance than other models.
• Unlike solar or wind power, propane has the ability to power all of a building’s major energy needs.
Easily Configured to Meet Your Needs
Propane standby generators have the capacity to power anything from a small business to hospitals, hotels, and large government facilities. The efficiency of propane generators will allow you to power your entire operation until the main power source is restored, whether that’s a few hours, or a few days. In addition, these high-tech standby power systems can easily be configured to power only the most critical parts of your business, so they can perform even longer.
Reduce Reliance On Electricity
The same propane that powers generators can also be used to power other systems throughout businesses, including:
• Heating Systems
• Water Heaters
• Cooking Appliances
• Fireplaces
• Outdoor Amenities
• Mobile Power Generation
• Construction equipment
Adding additional propane systems throughout a business will reduce the size and cost of the standby generator, by reducing the electricity demands placed on it.
Eliminate Risk, Protect Your Investment
Forty percent of businesses nationwide have no form of backup power. And of the 60 percent who do, 40 percent of those are relying on diesel — a fuel that may or may not perform when needed — to get them through the next power outage. When you consider the time and effort it takes to build a business and the risks posed by increasingly frequent power interruptions nationwide, a propane-powered standby generator is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.
About Us
The Propane Education & Research Council supports research, development, and demonstration of innovative, propane-powered technologies that reduce emissions and save money for homeowners, businesses, farms, and fleets. To learn more about propane standby power and sustainable, resilient building practices visit PowerWithPropane.com.
