The Real Benefits of Onsite Energy
Many think of onsite energy as simply backup power, but it is worth considering that there are more benefits than fault tolerance.

As the power infrastructure in the United States ages, many businesses have concerns. Just how reliable is the nation’s large-scale energy system.

It’s hard to pinpoint any major investments that would have a positive effect on the near- and long-term future of power distribution.

Looking beyond the use of onsite power as a business continuance tool, we are starting to see companies viewing onsite energy as a requirement when building new facilities or retrofitting old buildings.

In addition to providing power when needed, onsite power is used to cut overall energy costs, lower energy consumption emissions and in many cases generate additional revenues through ISO and Utility demand response, demand management and peak shaving programs. Based on location, onsite power can reduce energy costs by 30%.

What is Onsite Energy?
Onsite energy, sometimes known as onsite power, is a “power plant in a box.” These power generation units are specifically made for commercial and industrial applications. They provide continuous power using gas, biogas, green gas engines. They can help power mission-critical systems like medical buildings, data centers, and a wide range of facilities that cannot tolerate power outages

The form factor of these power generators is actually quite condensed and they have a footprint that is specially made for simple on-site installation.

When a power outage occurs, the onsite energy system begins producing steady, reliable power and insulates the organization from energy interruptions.

The financial benefit to using a “power plant in a box”
One of the biggest drivers for reliable onsite energy is the associated financial benefit. Many companies start losing revenue the moment the power goes out. This is especially true in our current economic environment where sales of products and services can happen worldwide through the internet.

In situations like this, emergency and standby power generation more than “keep the lights on.” In cases where grid power might be interrupted for days, onsite energy can keep a business from an unrecoverable loss of sales.

Legal requirements to have onsite energy
Looking beyond the financial benefits to continuous, uninterrupted power, there are many instances where human life and safety are affected by the loss of power.

Every state has laws that dictate when a building or organization must have standby power and emergency power capabilities.

In New York State, for example, emergency onsite power is legally required for any electrical systems where interruption power can pose danger or risk for human life. These areas include medical facilities, high-rises, plants that contain toxic materials, to name a few.

When the safety and wellbeing of humans are involved, onsite energy can provide a robust solution that does not rely on a faulty power grid.

How can I choose the right onsite power system?
Energy Choice offers a variety of “power plant in a box” energy generation units. These units are ideal for many different energy use applications from standby, peak shaving, continuous power, grid stability and participation on demand response.

Each unit is a plug-and-play system with a small footprint that is pre-designed and engineered for easy installation on-site. The integrated system offers off-grid reliability, allowing you to receive uninterrupted power during grid outages or when power prices are high.

Energy Choice maintains the equipment for the full life of the system, providing tens of thousands of hours of power generation. Systems can start from 500 kW to many MW each. More power modules can be added with increased demand.

Some of the main benefits of an Energy Choice distributed generation unit include: increased profit, resiliency and flexible financing.