Grid vs On-Site Power Generation: How to Save Your Piggy Bank 101

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While the majority of businesses rely on the grid for their power, doing so has become less stable than ever. The problem might be your own electrical system, from a single circuit to a complete shutdown of power. The electrical industry and its supply chains are still in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and it can be challenging to find the parts to repair or find the units to replace even your most critical equipment.

In light of these concerns, many facilities are considering generating their own power. However, doing so has its challenges, especially when it comes to cost. Most temporary generator installations cost over $0.35/KWhr, which is more than twice the price of power from the grid.  

Stable access to power is important, but these costs might simply be too much. Which should you do? We’ll compare on-site power generation to grid power access below. 

On-Boarding Expertise 

Beyond the expense of buying your own power is the expense of bringing on professionals who can handle the installation, maintenance, and adjustment of your new power system. Depending on how complex your facility or project is, this cost can be substantial.  

Power Quality 

Reliability of your power is one huge advantage of on-site power generation, but depending on the company, power quality may be just as important. If you have sensitive electrical equipment, which could be easily damaged by momentary outages, voltage sag or harmonics, it may be cost-effective to provide your own power. You can take steps that the power company won’t to protect your equipment and ensure that you don’t need to repair or replace equipment that has been damaged by poor-quality power. Ask our IEEE-certified sales team how harmonic attenuation can save you time, and money, and give you peace of mind for the future. 

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Lowered Risk 

With electrical industry instability after COVID-19 and rising costs of power, generating your own power on-site can be a hedge of sorts against continued cost and access issues. Once your own power generation has been set up, you can significantly lock down the cost of generating your own power. This can help keep your operational costs lower for the long term. However, the upfront investment to get to this price stability is high. It’s important to project into the future and assess your potential costs from energy price inflation to see if this could be worthwhile for you. 

Power Options from VCM Solutions 

If you’re concerned about the high cost of producing your own power on-site but know you need more stability than the grid provides, VCM Solutions has options for you. We can offer you an emergency backup power supply or the equipment necessary for you to hook back up to the grid, routing around equipment failure. Reach out to us to discuss your best power generation options.