I recently attended a meeting at a large multi-national on an unrelated matter but was asked to look at their generator. The generator had been serviced the previous month, but what I found was astonishing.

The 500kVA generator is serviced by one of the largest service providers in the country. However, other than the new oil and fuel filters it looked as if it had not been touched for years. Most of the hoses showed signs of leaks and hose deterioration, and one of the jacket heaters was not working. In addition there was a significant oil leak from one side of the engine, and the radiator core was leaking. The generator was filthy dirty and under the generator there was an oily mess which had not been cleaned up for what looked like years. Even though there was a full spill kit with clean pig mats available in the room, the service engineer obviously could not be bothered to leave the area clean. The firewire was dangling loose so the firevalve was obviously locked into position making this very important safely device totally inoperative.

What kind of quality control procedures do most service companies have in place to avoid this happening? How many service companies randomly inspect their service engineer’s performance to make sure quality standards are kept up? I am sure most will trot out the argument that the customers only look for ever lower costs. Whilst this is true it is not the whole truth as a generator which does not function in an emergency is an asset not worth maintaining.

Our engineers had another busy month in December not only with general servicing but with all other kinds of special projects which included a load test for a generator at Rolls Royce Derby, major battery changes in Abingdon and London sites for UPS systems, and a witness test for an export company in West Drayton where a condition and load acceptance report was required for two 1000kVA Cummins packaged sets. The end client needed to be satisfied that the second hand packages were in good condition and that the load acceptance met the standard. Oil samples were expressed to the laboratory on a 24hr turn round in order to confirm that no internal engine metal contamination was present.

Regarding our long running work on the two MAN 100% bio-fuel sets, the sets appear to be running satisfactorily now that the fuel quality has been sorted. We have now fitted flow and temperature measuring devices in the fuel lines so that consumption against power output can be monitored as well as input fuel and spill return temperatures.

Regarding our UPS side we have been extremely busy replacing batteries on UPS backup systems recently. Batteries usually need replacing after 7-10years and some of the batteries removed recently have been running so hot they have split. Once one battery in the string falls over then the string cannot provide the power to the UPS in the event of a power failure. If it is a one string system then the UPS will fail immediately, not allowing enough time for the generator to take the load. It is always worth checking the battery condition periodically as they get older so that the failure risk is minimized.

A great many companies pay small fortunes for UPS/battery systems, fancy switchgear and standby generators if the belief that the power supply to their server rooms are completely bomb proof.

However, how many of these companies run real live tests on a regular basis to make sure it all works. In my experience, not many, as the IT department has all kinds of problems when it comes to making time for maintenance.

If the answers to any of the questions below are negative then the risk of failure has not been minimised:-

1. Has your UPS had a winter health check?
2. Has the condition of your UPS batteries been checked?
3. In the case of power failure have you confirmed the UPS will seamlessly change and run on the batteries?
4. Has your diesel generator had a winter health check?
5. Has your fuel storage and transfer system been checked?
6. Have you physically failed the mains to check the generator starts and that the auto changeover panel works?

With budgets stretched to the limit it is easy to have blind faith in a UPS and batteries which are never looked at and a generator which is started now and again, but unless the whole system is regularly checked for seamless operation, then your power supply is not secure.

IT will always find some excuse to stop maintenance and system testing but the consequences of a UPS failure, or batteries failure, or the generator failing to start, or the switchover panel not working properly could be catastrophic to them if it hits at exactly the right time.

We are now into the most dangerous part of the year when it comes to grid failure. Make sure your company has done everything possible to minimise the risk of an insecure power supply.

Over the past two weeks the Prime Minister and his deputy have had a falling out over the House of Lords. This in itself looks like just another political spat, however, for the power industry the breakdown could be catastrophic.

With another three years to run, what are the chances that the present coalition government will reach agreement over the construction of any new nuclear power plants. Given the passion for renewables by the LibDems only new gas plants are likely to be given the go ahead to provide backup for wind power, when the wind decides it does not want to blow. The fact that gas supplies have to be bought from overseas means we will have no independent control over Britain’s power supplies.

It would appear that the politicians will only wake up and take meaningful decisions when the lights go out. On cold, still, winters evenings when demand peaks we are forced to buy power from France. With a new government in France who is to know what stance they will take, especially if the Euro zone comes unstuck.

We believe that the standby diesel generator market could be forced into panic and meltdown as it did in 1973. Forward thinking now may very well be a good investment especially for units which can take advantage of the STOR arrangements where the asset is making a return.

Fast growing financial group Dollar Finance are taking no chances with their power supplies by installing a new 500kVA diesel generator to keep their offices running in the event of power outages. Computer systems are backed up with UPS systems which take care of the load until the generator has started and can seamlessly take over. The new generator powers three separate buildings via separate switchgear so that any problems in any building can start the set.

Power Security Generators carried out the installation over two days in conjunction with NRG Power Systems.