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Energy Answers · Outages and backup power

Protect the loads that matter. Start with the outage you need to survive.

Five steps to connect actual disruption, critical loads, backup choices, and the cost of keeping the plant running.

You will leave withA clearer resilience brief to bring to your team or the next vendor meeting.

Or go straight to the Blueprint

  1. 01

    Understand the interruptions you actually experience.

    Utility-wide averages are a starting point. Your feeder and facility history matter to this decision.

    Ask at your facility
    Are we seeing brief interruptions, sustained outages, or both?
    You should end up with
    Your outage log plus a request for circuit-level reliability information.
    Read the written decision The part you want is How to Request Circuit-Level Reliability Data From Your Utility.
    Other ways to take this step
  2. 02

    Identify what cannot tolerate even a brief interruption.

    Ride-through for controls is a different requirement from powering the whole site for hours.

    Ask at your facility
    Which loads need uninterrupted power, and how long must they bridge a transfer or shutdown?
    You should end up with
    A critical-load list with interruption tolerance and runtime needs.
    Watch the episode The part you want is Sizing, Runtime, and the Generator Bridging Calculation.
    Other ways to take this step
  3. 03

    Compare backup architectures against that requirement.

    Compare total ownership cost, fuel cost over the run hours you expect, runtime, and transfer requirements, not just price per kilowatt.

    Ask at your facility
    What is our documented downtime cost, and which architecture addresses the relevant failure scenario?
    You should end up with
    A requirements-based comparison of generator, battery, and hybrid options.
    Watch the episode The part you want is Vendor Pitches, Red Flags, and Questions That Smoke Out BS.
    Other ways to take this step
  4. 04

    Check the utility costs before calling the project viable.

    On-site generation can change the charges and rules that apply to your service.

    Ask at your facility
    Which standby or supplemental terms apply to this proposed configuration?
    You should end up with
    A tariff-specific list of recurring and one-time costs.
    Read the written decision The part you want is How Utility Standby Charges Show Up on Your Bill.
    Other ways to take this step
  5. 05

    Decide whether an integrated system is justified.

    When this appliesOptional for an integrated power strategy. A straightforward backup project does not need a microgrid.

    A microgrid brings controls and integration responsibilities as well as operating options.

    Ask at your facility
    Does what an hour of downtime costs us, our demand profile, or a grid-access constraint justify that extra complexity?
    You should end up with
    A decision to investigate an integrated system, or keep the backup scope simpler.
    Read the written decision The part you want is When a C&I Microgrid Is a Terrible Idea (or Locks You In).
    Other ways to take this step

Bring this to your team

What you should be holding at the end of the five steps.

  1. 01Your outage log plus a request for circuit-level reliability information.
  2. 02A critical-load list with interruption tolerance and runtime needs.
  3. 03A requirements-based comparison of generator, battery, and hybrid options.
  4. 04A tariff-specific list of recurring and one-time costs.
  5. 05A decision to investigate an integrated system, or keep the backup scope simpler.

Build the backup decision around the outages your plant has actually had.

The Energy Decision Blueprint

The Energy Decision Blueprint connects your outage history, critical loads, rate, and project options before you commit to an architecture.

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