PROJECT PROFILE:
Bringing Power to KidsPeace
The Problem:
Maintaining Power During Severe Storms
The Solution:
A Custom Designed & Installed Emergency Backup Generator System
Overview:
Power outages can occur at any time, especially during a severe storm. When the safety of the children who reside in a residential child care community building is your number one priority, you need to come up with a solution for an unexpected occurrence. That’s why KidsPeace Foster Care and Community Programs in Bethlehem, PA trusted Shafnisky Electric for the job! KidsPeace needed to upgrade their facility so they can maintain power during an outage without sacrificing safety. Shafnisky Electric worked with KidsPeace to resolve the issue and stay within their budget.
The Process
At Shafnisky Electric, no job is too large or too complicated. Our team got to work immediately at the KidsPeace facility to design and install a way to supply emergency power during an outage. We researched and chose a storm switch. A storm switch means your facility is generator-ready and when a portable generator is delivered to the facility, cables are plugged into the storm switch and you can operate on emergency power.
Shafnisky Electric began by installing the storm switch, located in a cabinet outside the building in the vicinity of the parking lot. The Facilities Manager of the building can reserve and rent a generator in the event of an outage. Due to the sensitive nature of the program at KidsPeace and the majority of the children ranging in age from birth to 21 years old, we had the added challenge of limiting the interrupting of power in the building while we worked.
Our team coordinated with both the electrical inspection agency and the power company so that KidsPeace could maintain power the entire time. This coordination effort was demanding because our team needed to continue to make progress, stay on schedule, and do this with the least amount of power interruptions of the facility’s day-to-day operations.
Adapting to the Unexpected:
As our team worked to install the customer connection to an underground distribution system (known as the service lateral), the excavator discovered a sink hole underneath the storm drains. We had to come up with a plan immediately with the excavator and then convey the finding of this sink hole and our idea for a temporary fix with Kids Peace so they could be aware of the situation and to make arrangements for a more permanent fix in the near future. Because we were proactive and we had scheduled the service lateral inspection with the electrical inspection agency ahead of time, this set back was quickly remedied and the project stayed on track. The next day, employees were able to drive into the parking lot at KidsPeace safely.
The Outcome:
Throughout the duration of the project at KidsPeace our crews scheduled the necessary power outages to safely install the storm switch. On the last day of commissioning, Shafnisky Electric had nine men on the job for a 13-hour day, making it one of our largest jobs to date. KidsPeace was powered by a generator for two weeks while our team worked to install the storm switch. The result was a safe alternative to provide power during an unexpected outage for some very important people.
Need Your Company Connected?
At Shafnisky Electric, Inc., our team of qualified electricians can overcome any obstacle and the customer’s safety is always our top priority. When you have a large institutional project and need electricians who can devise a plan that meets current safety regulations, contact Shafnisky Electric for all of your electrical services
