Overview
In order to meet the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, Purbeck District Council enlisted the help of shentongroup to provide the Power Call ‘Power in the Hour’ emergency generator service, ensuring that the council’s Wareham headquarters remain fully operational in the event of main power failure.
The Problem
Responsible for over 45,000 local residents, like all district councils, Purbeck District Council has a duty to provide an array of essential services around the clock. With the increased probability of mains power failures hanging over many organisations, thanks to the National Grid’s lowest reserve power levels in recent years, district council’s are required to factor continuous power provisions into their operations, but without committing public funds to a standby power system.
The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 legislation requires front-line responders, such as Councils and emergency services, to identify and protect critical functions in the event of an emergency. These include public information services such as websites and telephones, as well as internal structures and processes.
Although one of the smaller district councils, the council’s Westport House headquarters in Wareham accommodates 150 personnel within a three storey building. To ensure that workers are able to continue delivering vital services, including data access and communications, the council’s Property and Procurement Team Leader, Jacquie Hall, decided to investigate shentongroup’s Power Call service.
Solution
shentongroup Director, Darren Meek, explains the merits of Power Call: “Because Purbeck District Council is a relatively small council, the cost of an installed generator set could prove to be relatively high. A realistic budget for a permanently installed automatic generator is £230 per KW. Therefore, if the maximum demand on the building is 100KW, then the costs will be around £23,000”. Darren continued: “When one considers that the council’s services will tolerate a very short downtime in the event of a power cut, shentongroup’s Power Call ‘Power in the Hour’ emergency generator service is a viable, cost effective option”.
“shentongroup’s engineers carried out a thorough survey of our building and provided us with a report on what we would require to maintain services in the event of a long power-cut”, said the council’s Jacquie Hall.
With a network of depots throughout the country, the Power Call service sees a shentongroup engineer deliver and activate an emergency generator within the hour. With a three hour money back guarantee and a 23 minute record to date, the service is ideal for organisations that choose not to invest in an on-site generator.
shentongroup’s Darren Meek detailed how shentongroup engineers implement provisions to enable the Power Call service: “Once the client has decided that Power Call is the right solution for them, shentongroup engineers install a weatherproof plug and socket on the most accessible area of the building’s exterior. A manual changeover switch allows for the straightforward selection between mains and generator power”. Customers then pay a monthly subscription that provides unlimited access to emergency generator provision.
Outcomes
Purbeck District Council now conforms to the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. As part of its Business Continuity Planning, it is assured that, in the event of any brownout or blackout, that shentongroup is available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to provide an operational emergency generator within the hour.
“We are now confident that the Council is able to fulfil its requirements under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and that we have an effective power security plan to protect critical functions and ensure continuity of service”, concluded Jacquie Hall.
About shentongroup
shentongroup is the UK’s leading technical expert in standby power, uninterruptible power supplies, and combined heat and power supplies. The company provides power solutions to organisations spanning a broad array of industries that rely on continuous power supplies and includes; finance, telecoms, IT, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, government, utilities, and sport and leisure.
shentongroup’s Power Call nationwide generator service is the perfect solution for emergency and business continuity planning. Serviced by a 24/7-control room, a generator is rapidly despatched from the most local depot with a target time of less than one hour and a guaranteed commitment to a maximum of three hours. shentongroup’s record is just 23 minutes. Upon arrival, the delivery engineer connects the generator to the pre-fitted connection point and advises the customer to switch over to the generator. An indicator lamp is fitted to the changeover switch to advise the customer when the mains power is restored.
Should there be a prolonged power-cut, shentongroup will provide a refuelling service to keep the standby generator running for the duration of the power-cut.
About Purbeck District Council
Named after the Isle of Purbeck, Purbeck District Council serves 45,600 residents, providing; roads and transport, planning and housing, leisure and culture, children and school and recycling and rubbish services.