Being prepared is key. Emergency and standby power systems are a sign of attentiveness to unpredictable situations, such as natural disasters and other events that can take down electrical systems. The machinery that keeps electricity going can save lives. NFPA 110-2019: Standard For Emergency And Standby Power Systems provides information on the performance guidelines of emergency and standby power systems.
Why Are Emergency and Standby Power Systems Important?
Emergency and standby power systems are crucial in situations when the loss of power can affect life. Patients in healthcare and hospital facilities often depend on these systems so that their care is not interrupted.
What Was the Biggest Power Outage Ever?
The biggest power outage to date occurred in India in 2012 after two failures took place on India’s electrical grid. After the electrical grid collapsed, 620 million people were left without power. At the time, this was nearly one-tenth of the world’s population. The country was hit in twenty of its states.
Notable Power Outages in American History
In 1965, a blackout hit the northeast United States. 30 million people (including some Canadians) were without power. According to Smithsonian.com, “In Manhattan alone, 800,000 people were stuck in subways, thousands more on elevators.”
The blackout of 2003 started with trees hitting power lines in Ohio. After some human error, 50 million people in the Northeast of America and parts of Canada lost power.
The longest blackout in American history occurred in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria struck.
What is the Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems?
NFPA 110-2019 covers the performance of emergency and standby power systems that provide an alternate source of electrical power to loads in buildings and facilities in case the primary power source fails.
Power systems that NFPA 110-2019 examines are power sources, controls, transfer equipment, and supervisory equipment. It also covers all electrical and mechanical auxiliary and accessory equipment needed to supply electrical power to the load terminals of the transfer equipment.
Installation, operation, maintenance, and testing guidelines for emergency power supply systems are covered in NFPA 110-2019.
NFPA 110-2019 revises the 2016 edition of the same standard, so it has undergone some changes. They are:
- Location and access to the remote emergency stop switch have been clarified.
- Clarified testing of fuel in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Battery charger specifications have been clarified as well.
NFPA 110-2019: Standard For Emergency And Standby Power Systems is available on the ANSI Webstore.
