What’s on Tap? A Reliable, Convenient, and Economical Way to Connect a Standby Diesel Generator

Backup Generator Hookup

No business wants and can afford an extended loss of power in today’s world

How can you protect your business from power outage interruptions? If you don’t already have a back-up generator for your building, you can do the next best thing. Install a generator docking station, also known as a TAP box, so a portable generator can be quickly hooked up by an electrical contractor.

During a power outage, a generator docking station allows you to quickly return power without an electrician, which helps protect your building from the risks and costs of power loss. Usually, during a power failure or emergency, electricians are in high demand, resulting in shortages and additional fees.

Global Power Supply can recommend generator docking stations that will make it easy for you to restore power to your building with minimal delay. Random outages make every business’s ability to function impossible. They delay deadlines and interrupt work. They even make security systems incredibly vulnerable and put our IT Network in grave danger. The truth is that power outages affect business’s bottom line far more than anyone considers, because a loss of electricity immediately stops business operations for most organizations, affecting the bottom line.

Information Technology Intelligence Consulting (ITIC) performed a survey that found:

• 98% of respondents claim one hour of electricity outage costs $100,000 on average.

• 81% of respondents said a power outage lasting one hour costs their business over $300,000.

• 33% reported an hour cost between $1 and $5 million.

To calculate how much your customers are losing, find the total labor costs per hour of downtime and add that to the total revenue lost per hour. But that’s only the monetary losses they’re suffering.

In some cases, a loss of data from a power outage could cause a company to go out of business. According to a study by Inside Energy, the five-year annual average of outages doubled every five years from 2000 to 2019. In 2020, 1.33 billion hours of power outages affected the United States, which was 73% higher than in 2019. While this number fluctuates year over year, the number of people affected by these outages is noticeably increasing.

What is a Generator Docking Station?

A generator docking station connects a portable generator to the building’s electrical system without the need to run lots of cable throughout the building into the main electrical panel. It is already pre-wired, so this is the plug-n-play solution in the temporary power world. This can change the time needed to set-up and get your building power from 4 hours to 30 minutes. This is especially important in the case of an outage in certain industries such as food and data centers. Using a manual or automatic transfer switch, the generator Tap box delivers temporary power in the case of a building-wide outage. The system keeps business functions safe and running smoothly.

Generator Tap Box

Generators tap boxes, are also called “quick connects” because the transfer of power is easy and smooth. Electrical service tap boxes provide the temporary generator connection of portable power right when a building needs it most.

Generators tap boxes are usually installed at the side of a building, on its exterior. The “quick connection” of a docking station is a cost-effective method because it avoids the need to connect temporary power from the portable generator to the main breaker during an outage because it has already been done.

The sheer flexibility of the generator docking station, coupled with a portable generator, allows power support for:

• HVAC systems

• Lights

• Hot Water Heaters

• Refrigerators

• Security Systems

• Electronics

Determining your Generator Tap Box Needs

Docking stations come with a range of custom-designed specifications and it’s up to a business or building to assess their own needs. Customizations can include features like Cam-Lok snap covers for a “quick connection” to portable generators. Other options include short circuit protection, custom enclosure doors, phase rotation protection, and more.

Often a business or building will have an idea or estimate of the number of times a year they experience power outages. They should also note the location of the temporary generator and the size of the electrical load (which could end up being quite high). Critical, priority systems and the overall budget must also be considered.

Creating a Plan

Think about a “continuity plan” like an “in case of emergency” box for the business.

After having evaluated how many times a year an outage occurs, businesses should focus on creating a plan. It must identify risks and show how those risks will impact operations. Having a docking station in place can be part of a continuity plan that helps to mitigate those risks.

The effects of power outages on businesses usually go unconsidered. This holds true until it happens, and a business is caught, like a sitting duck, in the dark throughout all the outages. Today, every business increasingly relies on networks and web-based technologies. That is why setbacks of an outage cause so many widespread problems.

A few of the consequences could include the following:

• Lost Customers

• Decreased Revenue

• Effect on Reputation

• Unturned Inventory

• Spoilage

• Decreased Employee Productivity

• Damaged Equipment

All these risks sound scary to most businesses. The good news is that power outages are catastrophes that can be planned for. The key is planning and preparedness. And you already know how important it is to have a business plan. Now, focus on your power plan by including a generator docking station and electrical tap box.

Contact our experienced sales team with any questions, quote requests, or expert advice you may need.