What is electrical power? I simply put it as a luxury when you do not have access or regular supply and quality of it but a necessity if you are used to it. Well, it’s way beyond this simple statement in the modern world where people want and need things to function and lead “normal” lives as required today in a rapidly urbanizing world.
How much investment goes into the power sector?
We take and hear how much investment is going into the power sector in all kinds of ways from Hydro, Solar, Wind, Thermal, Coal etc plus not to mention the huge investment needed to transport that power efficiently to the consumer who may be located in remote areas of the world or in relatively less populated areas where transporting it doesn’t make economical sense these are just the few factors where even relatively expensive diesel power makes economic and environmental logic.
Alternate power and fuel are all a good omen and prices are coming down but we are now at the mercy of global weather changes, El Niño. When this strike is when we do need power as a crucial input in saving lives and rescue functions as one sees on TV. Generators always on the screen with natural disasters and catastrophes, many man-made!
The statistics too are dumbfounding when people are shocked to learn that countries like USA are the largest consumer and buyer of generators and followed by China, Russia etc NOT developing countries.
Why is it important to have back up power in buildings?
Today all developed and progressive countries have laws and regulations that require generators in a lower rise building leave alone high rises and public buildings where safety and security of its users and residents are important. Anything could happen and imagine you are on 40th floor or higher?
Why just this? Can you fathom a hospital where sick patients are trying to recover or an operation theatre if power goes off? It’s usually fatal in most cases! Let us not put fear but some scenarios that are very much possible and simple occurrences in life that could easily happen, by simply not having a backup generator – ATM not working due to lack of power or branch is down due to same reason
Cell phone not connecting as the area that you are calling has no power and in remote areas cell phone towers have to be backed up normally by 2 generators not one Coming home after a tiring day and a visit to the gym and find out that you now have to climb 22 stories to your apartment ATM not working due to lack of power or branch is down due to same reason.
Having a pleasant meal at a restaurant and complete darkness envelops your meal out Cell phone not connecting as the area that you are calling has no power and in remote areas cell phone towers have to be backed up normally by 2 generators not one Coming home after a tiring day and a visit to the gym and find out that you now have to climb 22 stories to your apartment Lines at fuel stations as pumps cannot fill your vehicle adding to chaos on the city roads
Spending your holiday in a nice resort to find out that the air conditioning is not working neither are the lights, have a nice romantic hot holiday! Not only office work can suffer after climbing your high-rise office building but finding out your production is closed as power is out!, not to mention your continuous production line losses probably cost you as much as a generator or a very good portion of its cost!
Agriculture economy especially in rural and poorer areas depend on generators as power is either not available or poor quality, destroying your modern state of the art equipment Farmers trudging many miles over long distances on rural roads carrying perishable products that cannot be accepted, stored or processed. For these farmers it’s a crucial difference in their lives and income when water and fuel pumps not working, affecting crops and yields.
Unaware and flowering younger generation needs to have computers and mobiles charged and working, not to mention education and need to have light, the days of fascinating stories of hero’s studied in candle or kerosene lights needs to be over, it’s a different world and like electricity, education is also a necessity.
These are just a few instances that have been offered to highlight the need for standby power, progress and development doesn’t mean you get rid of generators but it means a more extensive requirement for them, if it was not so, despite huge increase in power supply from many, many new sources and inputs why would world production of generators increase dramatically? Let your own imagination feel the points made and how many you have in your mind, surely your list will be endless too.
