Most automatic transfer switches (“ATS”) are known as “open transition,” which means your load is disconnected from the grid for about 100 milliseconds before it is connected to the generator. This time delay is enough to cause lights to flicker, but seldom causes operational issues. An alternative ATS is a “closed transition” switch. In this case, the generator and grid are first synchronized, then the load is simultaneously connected to both the grid and the generator, and about 100 milliseconds later the grid is disconnected.

“Micro-outages” are caused by power quality problems. Usually, this results when large induction motors are turned on or off, causing a significant drop in power factor. Another cause is switching power supplies deployed by variable frequency drives (“VFD”). These VFDs can cause a significant amount of harmonics (noise) causing circuit breakers to trip. Lastly, and most insidiously, are problems originating from your incoming power. It could be a function of poor power factors or noise from a neighboring facility, or issues caused by intermittent renewable energy connected to the grid nearby.

Unless you are a large energy consumer where a significant percentage of your cost of sales is energy, the answer is “No.” For most companies and manufacturers, energy costs are typically less than 5% of the cost of sales. Therefore, it is hard to justify the expense of an energy department that must be kept productive 40 hours a week. A better choice is to outsource your energy management to a Concierge Utility®, like Exergy Energy, where you receive expert management for a small fraction of the cost of employing an energy manager.

Yes, for Life Safety purposes. Life Safety applications include fire alarm systems, emergency & exit lighting, smoke detectors, sprinkler pumps, elevator controls, critical communication systems, and critical life support systems such as ventilators. Some states require nursing homes to have full-facility backup power to keep residents safe during inclement weather and other disasters.

The following electrical systems are consider Life Safety: fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, smoke detectors, sprinkler pumps, elevator controls, and critical communication systems, as well as life support equipment.
https://resources.impactfireservices.com/fire-and-life-safety-systems-every-industrial-and-energy-facility-needs
https://www.wsfp.com/life-safety-systems/

The easiest way is to access the Energy Information Administration’s (“EIA”) website at https://www.eia.gov/. This is a non-partisan agency that provides comprehensive energy data for the United States.

Inclement weather is the primary reason for power outages, with 80% caused by downed wires. This is followed by fire, wildlife interactions, accidents that damage poles and wires, and lastly a generator going off line (typically due to poor maintenance).

No; these outages are much faster than an generator can start and pickup the load. Most micro-outages are shorter than 3 seconds. A fast start (NFPA 110-compliant) generator will take 10 seconds to accept load.

No; power quality problems are typically the result of your load or poor-quality incoming grid power.

Yes, but only for a very short period of time. Typically, batteries are sufficient for up to two hours. Long-duration batteries are prohibitively expensive, making backup generators as a better solution for outages exceeding two hours.

Link: eBook Battery vs Generator
Link: video Battery vs Generator
Link: video: ABC of commercial batteries

Batteries are less expensive if you do not need to run on backup power for more than a couple of hours. If you need to run longer, then a fuel-based generator is required.

Link: eBook Battery vs Generator
Link: video Battery vs Generator
Link: Video ABC of Commercial Batteries

The answer is complicated because there are numerous factors that go into calculating the delivered cost of renewable grid energy and onsite renewables. The short answer is “sometimes, but not always.” Despite being much smaller size/scale, on-site solar may provide lower-cost energy than buying renewables from the grid, but this is an artifact of how electric bills are determined, and thus requires considerable research to assess accurately. When you take into account demand and distribution charges (which can be 40% or more of your monthly electrical bill), these charges may or may not be reduced when you generate renewables onsite – It depends on whether your local utility permits a reduction in these non-energy charges. Also, tax incentives make this comparison confusing as well. Lastly, the availability of net metering, where your local utility provides you credits for excess onsite renewable energy delivered to the grid, will play a significant factor in the final calculation. Since electricity rates for commercial and industrial customers are lower than residential consumers, and as peak demand is shifting to early evening, we typically do not find that on-site solar is a wise investment for most companies. If you wish to reduce your electricity’s carbon footprint, purchasing grid renewable energy or renewable energy credits are both alternatives worth considering.

Link: video Behind the Meter Solar. A good idea?

Backup generators are very seldomly used, and when properly maintained a top-quality generator can easily last 25 years.

This should be viewed like any other investment you would make for your company. It is important to understand that while energy efficiency will improve your bottom line, it is unlikely to generate growth or help you acquire new customers. For all the hype that customers prefer sustainable companies, actual consumer behavior does not support this assumption. Some energy efficiency investments, such as LEDs and Variable Frequency Drives, have extremely high returns and generate additional benefits to process efficiency. However, most energy efficiency investments have relatively low investment returns, do not help grow the company, and divert capital from more productive uses. Exergy Energy, your Concierge Utility®, provides completely objective, unbiased data on the value of energy efficiency investments for its customers.

This is one of the most over-hyped terms used in the marketplace, and its use causes such confusion that a number of organizations, including the Federal Government, are now trying to establish an clear and comprehensive definition (which has not succeeded). In its most simplistic form, a Microgrid is a combination of load and generation that can interoperate with the grid or disconnect from the grid and continue to operate without making compromises.

This is complicated by the lack of a clear definition of a Microgrid. Studies show that a microgrid comprised of only a natural gas backup generator configured for grid participation and demand response provided the best returns on investment, lower overall energy costs, and provides resiliency when the grid is down. All other microgrid configurations, including solar, battery, and biomass delivered lower returns than just natural gas backup solution.

If you believe you will need backup power frequently (such as annually during hurricane season), then no – renting is considerably more expensive than owning or opting for Backup Power-as-a-Service because several months of rental payments typically equal the cost of a backup generator. Also, to ensure availability of a rental unit when you need it typically requires customers to pay a reservation amount on top of the rental payment. This reservation payment is usually equal to a couple month’s rent. Availability of rental generators is very uncertain; when a natural disaster strikes, rental generators are sold out in the first few hours.

If you are interested to measure your energy intensity and carbon footprint, Energy Star® is a great software solution. For organizations required to report and benchmark this information, Energy Star® is the easiest way to do so, and it’s free. If your facility qualifies for an Energy Star® rating (which certifies the energy efficiency of the building), it will increase the value of the property.

We are the only 100% customer-focused energy support company; we are vendor- and technology-agnostic. We are not here to sell you anything; our goal is to help you get the most out of your energy spend. Exergy is your outsourced energy management department. We call ourselves a Concierge Utility® because we work for you and sit on the same side of the table in meeting your energy needs.

Exergy is the maximum amount of work that can be done from the energy available in a given system. We chose this name to help illustrate our 100% customer focus. We help our customers get the maximum benefit from the energy they use.

Yes, but we wouldn’t recommend it. First, for some installations (such as Life Safety) there are stringent regulatory, service, maintenance, and reporting requirements that are result in fines and penalties if not performed properly, or could even cause your operating license to be revoked. Most maintenance staff are already too thinly staffed and overworked to add another responsibility, especially one as critical as energy.

Link to the discussion topic in problems.
Link to eBook Natural Gas vs diesel

Exergy provides a service contract that does not appear on your balance sheet. At the end to the term, ownership of the equipment is passed to you.

Exergy Energy operates in the United States and Canada. The greatest value of Exergy’s services are obtained in the energy deregulated states and provinces. For the United States the most attractive areas are highlighted in blue and blue striped on the following map:

Exergy warrants the following:

1. Generator sized appropriate for customer’s loads.

2. Service and maintenance performed according to manufacturer’s specifications.

3. 24 x 7 monitoring of the equipment.

4. Automatic dispatch of service personnel if a repair is required.

5. Participation in all applicable grid programs approved by customer.

6. All new or zero-hour equipment.

7. Automated Transfer Switch to automatically start generator when there is an outage.

8. Compliance with all utility regulations and emission requirements.

9. Monthly activity reports.

10. Service and maintenance processes and records compliant with NFPA 110, 2014 ASHE, and JACO standards, when appropriate.

11. Exergy will operate the generator for the benefit of the customer.

Exergy warrants that the savings estimates are based on industry best practices, our best understanding of the available grid programs, and the load information provided by the customer. Exergy does not guarantee any specific dollar savings for loads under 50 MW. For loads above 50 MW, savings guarantees are contained in a separate negotiated contract.

Specific dollar savings cannot be guaranteed since the pricing of grid programs is determined by the public utility commission (PUC), federal regulations, and through open market auctions. While reasonable estimates and expectations are possible, exact values are unattainable.

The profit generated from participation in grid services, such as demand response, is inherently uncertain because it is based on the market price of energy at any specific time. Savings estimates provided are based on our best knowledge of market dynamics, historical data, and forward market curves.

Yes! Exergy installs or contracts sufficient solar and wind resources to generate the same number of kWhs as your facility consumes. In this way, your facility becomes a 100% renewable energy consumer.

No. Your operation remains connected to the grid. Exergy only “takes you off grid” (island mode) if the grid goes down, in which case our resiliency solutions power your operations.

Your operations will not change with Exergy; you won’t even know Exergy is there.

But you may notice our presence when the grid fails and your operations continue unabated, or perhaps when you receive lower energy bills due to the savings we offer.

Understanding the cost of renewable electricity can be confusing, and some folks have convoluted ways to calculate its all-in costs.

But here is the indisputable fact: the ‘fuel’ (sun and wind) for renewables are free. So the total delivered cost of energy is due to the one-time installation costs (which continue to fall), and the operation and maintenance expenses (which Exergy pays). And here is the really good news: on a cost per kWh-basis, solar and wind are the least expensive energy sources available.

However, since renewables are intermittent, they need to be supported by grid generation. As responsible providers of renewable energy, Exergy also installs a natural gas generator at your facility (and, when appropriate, energy storage). This generator is used to provide your facility with resiliency and to supply the grid with energy services to accommodate the inherent variability of renewable power.

Use of the natural gas generator will be limited to providing resiliency for your operations and to supplying the grid with energy services. Your total annual energy consumption will be supplied by renewable generation provided by Exergy. So, if your operations consume 1.1 GWh of energy per year, Exergy supplies 1.1 GWh of renewable energy!

Nope, that’s Exergy’s responsibility.

At our cost, Exergy provides a turnkey power generation system that supplies 100% renewable energy, resiliency for your Always-On business, and savings from Day 1. Exergy operates and maintains the system so you can focus on running your business.

Your company simply makes fixed monthly payments for Backup-as-a-Service.

Exergy is a Concierge Utility®, so we offer contracts that meet our customers’ needs. Our agreements typically 10 years, but they can range from 5 to 20 years. They are fixed monthly payments with no surprises, so you know exactly how much your services will be.

It depends upon several factors, and we will provide a free budgetary quote upon request. Our customers defray part (or in some cases, all) of their fixed monthly payments by sharing in our profits earned from participation in any available Grid programs.

If Exergy ceases to manage your account for any reason, you still maintain your energy supply contract so there will be no interruption in energy delivery. The backup facility will continue to operate (it’s fully automated) protecting your operations from outages. Since Exergy and its affiliates supply all the capital for your system, there is no risk of capital loss to you.

Capital and time are precious resources that every company must allocate. Given the special knowledge, time, and significant capital required to build, own, operate, maintain, and supply grid services, Exergy is best positioned to provide these services and pass the savings on to you.

No, but we hear that a lot!

Exergy is responding to i) falling renewable generation costs, ii) tax credit (and other) incentives, and iii) grid service programs and price signals provided by the wholesale and retail energy markets.

Some very large organizations (think: Google) already do this themselves using large in-house energy management teams. Exergy is a Concierge Utility® bringing these same services to you.

Exergy’s business model incentivizes you to be as energy efficient as possible.

Energy is Exergy’s business; we have greater resources and capabilities to provide efficiency and resiliency solutions than if you attempted to secure them yourself. With Exergy as your Concierge Utility™ you can feel confident that we are doing everything economically possible to maximize the sustainability of your operations.

Exergy has a stable of capital partners with attractive capital costs and strong interest to finance our projects. We bring the entire capital stack: equity, debt (if necessary), and tax credit financing.

No, Exergy is responding to the programs, incentives, benefits, and market signals provided by the regional transmission operators whose job it is to create a stable energy delivery network at an affordable cost.