Banks, hospitals, data centers, commercial buildings and even grocery stores all depend on reliable power for their operation. When utility power fails, commercial standby power generators provide backup power to many types of essential enterprises. The interface to the brain of the emergency generator is the generator control panel which provides options for the mode of the generator. Electronics inside the generator control automatically start the genset whenever power fails. Once the generator has reached operating RPM and the generator control unit deems the genset is "ready to load," the automatic transfer switch disconnects the building's load from the utility power grid and connects generator power to the building. Most generator installations include a remote annunciator panel that displays the status of the generator and generator switch. In some cases, such as hospitals and other public facilities the NFPA and fire code mandate the use of a remote annunciator panel visible to a staffed location inside the building. Because power is critical to many operations, generator maintenance and continuous real-time status and alarm information from the generator is a necessity. Facilities managers directly benefit from remote monitoring of standby generators with improved reliability, reduced generator maintenance costs and fewer issues with backup power.
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