CSE20240205_Part29

storage inside or on the roof of a structure.
This
requirement is in part based on concerns over fire
and explosion hazards within a building.
Engineers are strongly encour-
aged to review all electrical equip-
ment needs with the owner and
construction manager to deter-
‘ The amount of on-site
fuel should be sufficient
Sustainability mine if early “long lead” packag-
Decarbonization goals and desire for renew- es need to be released before the
to provide a minimum of
able energy have led to the development of gen- completion of construction doc-
erators using hydrogen or hydrotreated vegetable uments. This will require careful 2 hours of run time per
oils (HVO). analysis and understanding of risks
’
There has been increased interest in hydrogen as with the client in releasing these NEC Article 700.12.D.2.
a fuel source. Limitations currently exist in both the systems for early procurement.
size of fuel cells and microturbines using hydrogen.
Typically, these range in size from 100 to 200 kW. Testing and commissioning generators
Conventional natural gas generator manufactur- For both emergency and legally required standby
ers have begun producing engines that can run on a generators, testing is required. There are two types
blend of natural gas and hydrogen. of tests to be performed: The first is an acceptance
There remain challenges in the production, test done upon installation but before becoming
delivery and storage of hydrogen on sites. The operational. A good source for acceptance testing
Department of Energy has been addressing this by is in various codes, such as ANSI/NETA ATS-2021
building regional hydrogen hubs and various man- and NFPA 110 Chapter 8.
ufacturers have begun to produce hydrogen via on- The second test is operational testing to be per-
site generation units (see Figure 5). formed periodically, subject to the local authority
A significant opportunity to move toward decar- having jurisdiction, during the life of the system.
bonization with standby diesel generators is with NPFA 110-2010, for example, has requirements
HVO, a next-generation fossil-free fuel. This ver- for testing and maintenance procedures. Written
satile fuel requires no changes to engines, doesn’t records are to be maintained for either type of sys-
degrade over time and can blend with regular fuel.
HVO should not be confused with previous genera-
tem. Of note, emergency systems are required to be u
tested “under maximum anticipated load” whereas
Insights
csemag.com
tion biodiesel fuels. HVO is produced from organic legally required systems are required to be tested
agricultural waste products, but it uses hydrogen to “under load.” Generator insights
uTopics include code
drastically reduce the carbon content. As mentioned earlier, generators are also used
requirements for the load
Using HVO in existing generators, in place of in COPS defined under NEC Article 708. This sec- type to be powered, backup,
fossil diesel fuel, can reduce carbon emissions by up tion goes beyond the testing required for emergen- standby and emergency
to 90%. HVO can be kept for up to 10 years with- cies and legally required standby systems to require generators.
uSpecial facilities such
out notable degradation and it is not susceptible to commissioning. as data centers, hospitals
oxidation, water absorption or bacterial growth. As Commissioning is a common practice in all mis- or campuses may lead to
a newer fuel source, production and distribution sion critical facilities and includes component, sys- considerations for medium-
voltage or paralleling
is quickly ramping up across the country but lim- tem, baseline and functional performance tests. systems.
ited in some locations. HVO carries about a 10% There are notable differences between emer- uAdditional systems
cost premium over standard diesel depending on gency and standby generators within NEC. The considerations include
location. engineer should be careful in using the terms and a growing desire for
sustainable and renewable
understand the requirements, considerations and alternatives to traditional
Supply chain challenges specifications when designing generator power. cse diesel and natural gas fuels.
Along with paralleling switchgear, trans- uThis article assumes that
the engineer is familiar with
fer switches and many other associated electrical Brian Rener, PE, LEED AP, is Director of Mission engine generator basics
equipment, generators are experiencing signifi- Critical Facilities at SmithGroup. He is a member of and therefore focuses on
cant shortages and delivery delays. Generators may the Consulting-Specifying Engineer editorial advi- some specific or unique
considerations for using
require 18 to 24 months to arrive on a project after sory board and has been writing for the brand for a generator and their
approval for purchase. more than 30 years. applications.
consulting-Specifying engineer— www.csemag.com May/June 2024

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storage inside or on the roof of a structure.

consulting-Specifying engineer— www.csemag.com May/June 2024

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