Generator sets are industrial-powered and very high-capacity generators used to provide alternative power. Fueled by diesel, natural gas, bio-fuel or alternative fuel, generator sets are used to provide emergency power to hospitals and research facilities and to provide a back-up power source to critical city and government systems and power grids, to name just a few examples. Just as a small gasoline-fueled generator offers power where traditional power sources (electricity or other sources) are temporarily not available, generator sets are used by many industries to offer prime, standby, emergency and continuous power.

There are many more uses for generator sets. When critical facilities – such as hospitals – experience a temporary surge in power needs (due to higher patient admissions, for example), generator sets can supply this additional needed power without any power surges or power outages. When research facilities stand to lose information or data because of power outages, generator sets can keep these facilities running and research safeguarded. In fact, some manufacturers of generator sets have special emergency delivery to ensure that hospitals and research centers can have generator sets delivered in critical moments within hours.

Increasingly, as larger companies and critical centers (such as hospitals) face budgets, generator sets are used to help plan for future fuel use. With generator sets, facilities can help keep power usage stable and within budget by relying on power from generator sets when unexpected spikes in power usage take place.

When buying generator sets, features you will want to keep in mind are:

• Start times. Generator sets should start quickly, especially if they are being used as emergency power for critical systems. Hospitals, for example, need to ensure that any generator sets used start immediately to safeguard heart patients and patients on life support.
• Cleanliness. Clean running sets are crucial when the generator sets are mounted indoors or used close to buildings.
• Fuel efficiency. Fuel efficiency ensures that generator sets continue to function, even when power outages or power need is extended. Fuel efficiency also minimizes the amount of money that must be used on generators.
• Globally supported systems. The generator set used must support the type of system it is augmenting or supporting. Most manufacturers can ensure full compatibility between a generator set and the system it is fueling.