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Canada is known as the global powerhouse for sustainable power generation, with more than 67% of the total electricity consumption coming from hydro, wind, solar, and biomass. The remaining demand is met through nuclear power plants, gas, and other fuel generation. Nevertheless, utility companies in Canada see standby gas or diesel generators as a solution to cater for power emergencies and outages caused by power plant failures, natural disasters, and the aging power grid structure.
The grid infrastructure in Canada is no different from the one in the US, especially considering that the US imports several megawatts of power from Canada annually. The utilities use the same 120 Volts AC 60 Hz transmission to feed residential buildings. For commercial or industrial use, they don't often use the 480 VAC US industries get. Instead, they prefer the 600 Volts AC supply, especially for large industrial sites.
Another key difference to note is that Canada is divided into provinces, each with a local utility company that generates and supplies electricity across the provincial jurisdiction. But regions can also buy power from other provinces with surplus supply. For example, Ontario, one of the largest provinces in Canada, has higher power demands and gets most of the electricity from nuclear power plants (62.1%) and hydro (26.8%).
Furthermore, some utility companies offer thermal energy production through the power grid system, primarily to commercial buildings or large consumers like universities, colleges, or sports arenas. Thermal is seen as an efficient method of recycling heat energy for both heating and cooling purposes. Typically, thermal energy is produced in a facility near or on-site that is powered by utility power. The facility includes equipment such as pumps, chillers, and heat exchangers. Essentially, the operation of the thermal facility is dependent on the availability of utility power.
Canada experiences the same need as the US for backup power. This is because of similar conditions such as snow, storms, wildfires, and high winds, which cause power outages. For utilities, installing diesel or gas-powered standby generators is the only way to ensure continuous power supply during these interruptions. This is especially true for renewable power plants like solar cities that need continuous operation even during harsh weather in winter. Standby generators close the production gap caused by these conditions or due to inadequate power storage capabilities.
For plants like thermal energy generation that rely on external power sources to operate, a standby generator's importance can't be emphasized exhaustively. When the grid goes off, it means that the buildings that depend on the thermal grid will still have lighting but no heating or cooling. For example, this is what happens when, for example, you install an emergency power source like a Cummins 2000 kW diesel generator in a thermal facility.
When it comes to utility power generation, the question is never "if "but "when" will the power interruption occur. The only way to be proof and resilient is by having an efficient backup power plan in place, like a standby generator. At Power System Services, we're industry leaders geared to help utility companies in the US and Canada to find and buy the right choice of generator depending on their unique needs. Explore our different products or contact us at any time for any inquiry about generators.
