During an unpredictable event—such as an earthquake, hurricane, flood or other natural (and man-made) disaster—there is one thing we can depend upon: Our power and water delivery systems will be challenged, and not all will be able to adequately weather the storm. It is during these times that onsite power becomes an invaluable asset.
This week, southern California was once again rattled by Mother Nature, as a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit south of the border near Mexicali, Mexico. As is usually the case, the potential for disaster has provoked a lot of navel gazing about earthquake preparedness and the status of the state’s emergency infrastructure. But for many businesses, utility disruptions not only threaten the bottom line, but the health and well being of employees and the company’s commercial interests.
Last year, in a blog entitled “Are You Ready for Your Backup”, I discussed a 2008 survey by Emerson Network Power, which revealed that, of the 451 small business owners that participated in the poll, only 39% had backup power systems capable of supplying electricity for lighting, computers, and employee tasks (www.emerson.com/smallbusiness/). At that time, I asked a series of questions, which I think still bear consideration:
* Are the misconceptions about power outages the reason that a majority of small businesses do not have adequate backup power systems? Or is cost a bigger culprit?
* And if we determine that backup power is important, not just to individual businesses, but to the overall economic health of the country, how do we encourage a more proactive stance when it comes to emergency backup systems?
So what do you think? Why aren’t emergency backup power systems widespread amongst small business and commercial enterprises? Would federal funding or tax breaks help? And how can those of us involved with distributed energy more effectively make the case that onsite power is the best option when it comes to disaster preparedness?