When you have a commercial or medical facility, you need to be prepared for anything—including massive power outages. The recent Texas snowstorm outages were a good reminder that sometimes nature (and the power grid) have unexpected surprises in store. Wildfires, storms, earthquakes and intense summer heat are all possible here in California, so it’s important to be prepared for a sustained power outage. Commercial backup power generators aren’t just a good idea in Upland, CA—they’re a necessity.

Blackouts, power outages and climate disasters are more common

Did you know that outages due to climate concerns have doubled over the last 20 years? If you’ve been living in California in the last decade, you’re probably no stranger to the worsening wildfire seasons. In many cases, power companies have blackouts and brownouts to prevent overloading the grid, especially during 2020’s record summer heat. Los Angeles hit a record high of 121 degrees Fahrenheit, which left residents scrambling for ways to stay cool in the life-threatening heat, often with no power, during a global pandemic. Experts predict that without major, drastic changes, California—and the rest of the nation—will continue to experience these climate-related outages. In other words, this is the “new normal,” and it’s incumbent upon everyone to be prepared.

If you run a commercial or healthcare facility, commercial backup generators are crucial. Even though power management is desperately trying to keep up with increased demand, there are many unplanned disturbances that tax the emergency power system. Whether you’re serving medically vulnerable populations or an outage would harm your production and output, you should understand that these outages will likely continue into the future, which means you need to prepare for them.

Healthcare facilities are the most vulnerable to outages

Many people assume that hospitals and other healthcare facilities will be safe when there’s a massive power outage. However, that’s not always the case. 2012’s Hurricane Sandy proved that not all hospitals are equipped to deal with widespread outages—many hospital residents had to be evacuated from hospitals in New York City and other major metropolitan areas. Those are often the facilities we’d expect to have the best backup power management.

Unfortunately, that’s simply not the case. Studies have shown that most hospitals use generators that are over 50 years old, which are often stored in basements. That means they’re not protected from floods. Not only that, but there is no national standard for power generator installation, and it’s practically impossible to find out which hospitals have failed the generator tests. Since most hospitals can’t afford to move their generators, one major outage could directly harm thousands of patients at a time.

Commercial backup power generators in Upland, CA

These facts are troubling, but they also highlight the need for practical, smart backup power options. No matter what kind of building you own, having commercial backup generators will help in a major disaster—including offering a safe space for those affected, when necessary.

Call Ham’s Electric, Inc. to find out more about our essential electrical services.