When considering how to best back-up the critical circuits that power your business, first you need to understand your options. To understand your options, we need to know how your operations are being affected by power outages like Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Take a look at the main options below and tell us which best reflects your needs.
1. Energy Storage
Use: Momentary and medium duration outage.
Transfer Time: < 1 second
Environmental Impact: Increases renewable energy integration
Economics: Generates significant savings and a revenue stream.
2. UPS -Uninterrupted power supply
Use: Momentary and short-term outage, bridging the gap until power source restored.
Transfer Time: Instant
Environmental Impact: Minimal
Economics: More expensive the Energy Storage per kWh.
3. Backup Generator
Use: Multiple days.
Transfer Time: 8-15 seconds
Environmental Impact: Local C02 emissions, fuel storage.
Economics: Capex required, no incentives or savings.
Resilience, Business Continuity, and Public Safety Power Shutoffs
Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) became big news in California in 2019 when the frequency of power shutoffs due to wildfire risk sky-rocketed. The economic impact was worth billions of dollars due to property and equipment damage and lost custom. And although the incidence of shutoffs has reduced since then, the length of time before the power is restored has increased, particularly in Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) territories.
This graph shows a worrying trend for SCE customers particularly, but as the authors of this report (Union of Concerned Scientists) describe, “PSPS outages last one to two days, and there aren’t any obvious signs that shutoff events are getting shorter.” That’s a lot of disruption to businesses and potentially a lot of money lost.
Building resilience into a strategic energy plan, either to backup critical circuits with energy storage and battery backup, bridge a short gap with uninterrupted power supply (UPS), or even with a backup generator, the impact of PSPS and similar events can be minimized.
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
6-Step Guide to Building Energy Resilience
More and more West Coast businesses are focusing on energy resilience to fight back against the rising threats and costs of power supply uncertainties, particularly with the introduction of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in recent years. But if your business is just starting to dig into the details, it can be difficult to know where to begin and how to arrive at the solution that is right for you. So we have compiled a helpful six-step guide to get you moving.
1. Identify & prioritize your Project Goals
Establish what you really need in a resilience solution.
4. Work with an expert to capture incentives
Capturing the many available energy incentives is lucrative, but fraught with paperwork!
2. Understand how storage delivers resilience
Do you need fast response backup power or to bridge the gap between outage and micrgrid ramp-up?
5. Maximize project economics
Make the best case for project approval by calculating its full value beyond incentive payments and inclusive of avoided costs and demand charge shaving.
3. Develop and Maintain a big-picture strategy
Before selecting hardware, software, and installation partners, think about your broader energy ecosystem.
6. Choose well for install, commissioning and operation
Ensure clarity of your pre-established goals and your energy strategy, and focus on quality.
