Emergency and backup power

Standby generators, transfer switches, UPS systems and generator maintenance for Edmonton homes, businesses and industrial sites.

When the power goes out

Edmonton outages are usually short, but not always. A winter storm, a vehicle hitting a pole or equipment failure can leave a neighbourhood or an industrial park dark for hours. At -30 C, that means frozen pipes, stopped sump pumps and spoiled stock. For businesses, it means lost sales, interrupted processes and data at risk.

Alberta Electrical designs, installs and maintains backup power for homes, businesses and industrial sites:

• Standby generators that start automatically and run for hours or days.
• Transfer switches that safely move your loads between the grid and a generator.
• UPS systems that bridge the gap with no interruption for computers, networks and controls.
• Generator maintenance so your backup actually starts when it is needed.

Backup power also protects against problems you may not think about until they happen: a garage door that will not open, a well pump that stops, a security system that goes dark, or a freezer full of food in a long summer outage.

Choosing the right mix

There is no single answer. A home with a sump pump and a gas furnace might need only a small generator with an interlock or a modest standby unit. A clinic with refrigerated medications needs automatic transfer. A server room needs a UPS so equipment never sees the interruption, plus a generator for longer outages.

We start by listing what must keep running, how long it must run and how quickly it must come back. From that we size the equipment and decide what goes on backup and what does not. Backing up everything is rarely necessary and often doubles the cost.

It also helps to think about how outages actually affect you. A home office might only need the modem, router and a laptop for a few hours. An acreage might need the well, the furnace and livestock waterers for a day or more. A restaurant might need coolers and the point of sale, but not the fryers.

• What must keep running, and for how long?
• Does it need to come back on automatically?
• Is anything sensitive to even a brief interruption?
• Will someone be on site to start equipment?

Safety and code

Any generator connected to a building's wiring must be connected through approved transfer equipment, so it can never feed power back onto utility lines. Backfeed can kill utility workers and neighbours, and it can destroy your generator when the grid comes back.

All installations follow the Canadian Electrical Code as adopted in Alberta and need an electrical permit. Gas piping is done by a licensed gas fitter under a separate gas permit. For buildings with code-required emergency power, such as some high-rise and institutional buildings, CSA C282 also governs installation, testing and maintenance.

Winter-ready backup

Backup power earns its keep in winter, so it has to work in winter. Generators need block heaters or enclosure heaters, batteries in good condition, and fuel that will not gel in deep cold. Exhaust and air intakes must stay clear of drifting snow. We plan for all of it at installation, and check it during maintenance.

Many generators that fail during an outage were never tested under load or had a dead battery. Our maintenance service exists to prevent that.

For commercial and industrial sites, we also look at the exercise schedule and how the system behaves under real load, because a generator that only ever runs unloaded can hide problems until the day it is needed.

What drives cost

We do not post prices. Main cost drivers are generator size and fuel type, how many circuits are backed up, transfer switch type and rating, the distance between the generator, gas or fuel supply and the panel, concrete pads or enclosures, and whether a panel or service upgrade is needed. For UPS systems, runtime and power rating are the biggest factors.

Questions we hear