Utilities in Canada Use Standby Generators

Canadian Power Infrastructure & Utilities

The basic power infrastructure in Canada is designed much the same as the United States. In fact, both are interconnected for transmission and distribution and also for the sale of electricity. Power companies supply residences with the same 120 VAC 60 Hz electricity. Industrial supply can differ between the two, with Canada often using 600 VAC instead of the more common 480 VAC in the U.S. For more Canadian Power information, visit our Canadian Power Generation and Electrical Infrastructure article.

According to the IESO, Ontario is one of the Canadian provinces where nuclear power plants are responsible for 62.1% of the power produced. Hydroelectric supplies 26.8% of the capacity. The remaining is shared among gas, solar, biofuel, and other renewable energies. The city of Markham, located in the southern province of Ontario, is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada. Markham, Toronto, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, Sudbury, Cornwall, and Windsor also use a similar shared energy concept. To see an interesting chart on power distribution and consumption in Ontario visit the new Grid Watch live chart of output and capabilities here.

Some of the utilities provide the production and supply of thermal energy via a grid network. Commercial buildings, hotels, sports facilities, and universities are examples. Thermal energy is divided into the heating and cooling categories. Centralized facilities supplying thermal energy contain chillers, pumps, and heat exchanges for the grid. Buildings that are on the thermal grid do not need conventional heating and air conditioning equipment. 

Almost all power production creates heat. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems allow the heat from power generation to be recovered rather than lost. Some systems boast 90% efficiency. This heat can then be used to heat buildings or drive chillers. For more information and a list of top utilities in Canada visit the Canadian Electircity Association's member page.

Emergency Generator Provided to Canadian Utility

Generator Source recently shipped a 1500 kW Caterpillar generator to a utility customer in Canada. They came to us with a request to help meet their backup power requirements for a facility that utilized thermal energy. The thermal relies on the power grid to operate equipment via electricity or thermal recovery. When power is lost to the thermal building, heating and cooling is lost to all buildings. Each building on the grid could have power, but not heat or chill water. Emergency generators provide power to needed systems during unplanned outages. An example of power loss with backup generator below:
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1. Thermal facility has a dedicated substation with transformer(s). The substation suffers a failure. All buildings, except the thermal facility, within the complex have power but will loose thermal grid if power is not restored.
2. The Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) activates, diesel generator starts up and assumes the load. Thermal facility operators adjust the system for loss of main power operation. Thermal grid suffers minimal downtime and is operational.
3. When utility power is restored, the ATS transfers the load to the utility. The generator operates in cool down mode and then shuts down.
4. Operators restore building to normal operating standards.

The above sequence is fictional. The question is not if, but when power is lost, can I maintain operation? We recently shipped a Cummins 1500 kW generator to large utility client, and the generator will serve any desired application well. 

We have generators in all sizes that are designed for indoor applications, portable needs, and sound attenuated enclosure models. Visit INVENTORY to see the generators we have in stock. Feel free to Contact Us with any questions.

Diesel Blog Team | 10/31/2018 2:07:59 PM | 0 comments