(Credit: Generac)Generac Power Systems announced a five-year development agreement with microgrid technology company Enchanted Rock to build and supply natural gas generators in an effort to protect businesses from interruptions from power outages.
Generac says the company has seen an increased demand for power backup systems, driven from situations such as severe weather outbreaks and other natural disasters that have strained electric grids. The generator systems will be used in a variety of microgrid platforms, the company says, and will be continuously monitored and maintained by Enchanted Rock to keep electric grids on a high level of availability.
The agreement is mutually beneficial, the companies say, and will help them develop larger backup systems that will last for longer periods for commercial, industrial and government entities.
Power reliability has seen an increased focus in industry and communities recently, especially with high-use situations caused by natural disasters in areas like California and Texas.
In Texas, customers have been asked to cut back on use to avoid outages because of summer heat and a major winter storm that caused widespread outages in February 2021. Efficient microgrids, such as what California city Rialto is designing and another being built for an ag facility in the state, have become a greater focus to combat outages.
The Generac and Enchanted Rock microgrid platform will be based on Generac’s rich-burn gaseous engine technology. It will also use its newly acquired Deep Sea Electronics control systems, which provide quick starting and utility-grade backup power, Generac says. The company says those systems produce the power in a cleaner format compared to traditional diesel generators.
Enchanted Rock designs, builds, operates and maintains low-emissions dual purpose microgrids that provide backup power and supply grid stability services. The Texas-based company has done a variety of work businesses and institutions across the state.
The new units based on the agreement will be manufactured at Generac’s Oshkosh, Wisconsin, facility.
