The supply of electricity is essential for daily life, and ensuring a constant, adequate and efficient flow is essential in any strategic planning and management process.
For this reason, the use of backup power generation equipment is indispensable in facilities and activities of all kinds, especially in productive sectors and critical services such as health, data monitoring, digital networks and national security, among others.

Regarding this topic, we spoke with a consulting lawyer and a specialist from a company that supplies backup power generation equipment, commonly known as generator sets (GE). We analyzed the benefits and characteristics of these devices, as well as the advantages of leasing them.
Definitions and benefits Hebert Carvajal, Atlas Copco Specialty Rental Applications Engineer, explains that a generator set “is a piece of equipment designed to be used as an autonomous power source, powered by a diesel engine that is generally put into operation to maintain a reliable and safe continuity of the supply of electric power in the event of power outages or peak hours.

This ensures productivity in the industry, efficiency and the development of activities and services where a generator is used.” He adds that its use ensures that long-term power outages do not influence productivity or the work carried out with electricity and that could generate losses for the client or the industry in general.
For his part, for Cristián Araya, consulting lawyer at the Energy Transition Center (Centra) of the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences of the Adolfo Ibáñez University (UAI), the importance of this equipment lies in the fact that its use allows ensuring the electric supply in the event of power outages or potential network rationing. “This risk has increased due to climate change, the effects of which are already being felt substantially.
In addition to the service deficiencies that electricity distribution companies experience with some regularity (… ) this can be very significant for activities that are essential for the health and safety of people to maintain with supply or whose stoppage can mean invaluable losses, such as in data centers,” explains Araya.

GENERATOR SETS: ARE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE A RELIABLE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY IN VARIOUS APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING INDUSTRY AND OTHER SECTORS.

Innovations through faster and more reliable synchronization systems that require almost no intervention from the operator have improved the work of these machines, reducing fuel consumption and work with low load,” says Hebert Carvajal, Atlas Copco Specialty Rental Applications Engineer. He also comments that with a GE “it is possible to obtain savings in the operation of the facilities during peak hours of electrical consumption, in terms of power charges.
With the cut-off during peak hours, the user is able to reduce demand during this time, which can translate into a decrease in the electric bill in the item of charge for power demanded during peak hours throughout the year.” According to the Centra-UAI consultant, the decision to invest in this equipment must be contrasted with the costs associated with having the installation stopped. Cristián Araya, consulting lawyer at the Energy Transition Center (Centra) of the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences UAI. Hebert Carvajal, Specialty Rental Applications Engineer at Atlas Copco. With a generator set, it is possible to obtain savings in the operation of the facilities during peak hours of electrical consumption, in terms of power charges,” Cristián Araya, consulting lawyer at Centra-UAI.

Advantages of leasing According to the Atlas Copco specialist, leasing a GE brings multiple advantages for companies in general, among which those focused on investment and cost-benefit issues stand out. “When working during peak hours or during periods of time when energy requirements increase, such as in the case of vineyards, you can choose to lease and not make a large investment that involves the purchase of a GE,” says Carvajal, adding that under the leasing system companies can have the best results in both technology and efficiency, “since they do not have equipment that ages and also in the event of a failure, the equipment is replaced, avoiding loss of time in quotes and repairs.” In the case of Atlas Copco, its client portfolio throughout the national territory includes the mining, salmon, paper, agricultural, health, wine, and public events industries, among other areas.

Efficient technologies Regarding the technology behind the electric backup generators, Hebert Carvajal comments that these teams have experienced a great advance over time, with electronic motors and the control of all their variables in more sophisticated modules that collect a greater amount of data and carry out the control in an efficient and reliable way, allowing more flexible operations. “Innovations through faster and more reliable synchronization systems that require almost no intervention from the operator have improved the work of these machines, reducing fuel consumption and work with low load, and the best thing is that the whole process is automatic,” explains the Atlas Copco executive.
In turn, Araya explains that the main trends that are currently seen in Current Legislation Cristián Araya explains that, depending on their use, generator sets in Chile are subject to various sector regulations: Standard Content Agency RIC N* 09 Self-generation systems that deliver energy to the consumption facility in the form of Electricity simultaneously with that supplied by the distribution network and Fuel (SEC).

RIC N* 08 Self-generation systems isolated from the grid or with open transfer of Electricity and emergency systems required for certain facilities for the safety of human life. | marketing in Chile, must have the SEC seal and those with powers greater than 10 kW and less than or equal to 500 kW, have a Resolution Exempt from “Marketing Authorization”. DSN*160/2008 | They must be registered in the Registration Registry, Ministry of Economy if the equipment has an additional tank (not part of the equipment) for fuel storage. DS N*138 / 2005 Annual declaration of emissions to the air. Ministry of Health DS N? 31 / 2017 Compliance with emission standards of the Atmospheric Prevention and Decontamination Plan (PPDA) | Ministry of the Environment. Of the RM. DS N? 38 / 2012 Compliance with noise limits. Ministry of the Environment. DS N? 38 / 2021 Specific emission standards. Ministry of the Environment.

SOURCE: CRISTIÁN ARAYA, the development of the GE that can be highlighted are: remote monitoring and management of the equipment; development of modular and smaller equipment; use of high-performance semiconductors; equipment free of electrical transformers; and application of smart grid solutions. He adds that the use of fossil fuels has proliferated in recent decades as the main option to maintain a reliable backup source in the workplace.

According to the Centra-UAI expert, as a result of this, various advances in the use of generator sets were developed at the same time, including optimizations in the components; computerization of injection and improvement of combustion; new assembly technologies and minimization of exhaust gases; more advanced automatic control systems, with remote monitoring and operation; integration of batteries and brushless synchronous generators.

Courtesy of LitoralPress