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Why a Standby Generator? Why Guardian? How Does it Work? Guardian vs. the Competition

Southwestern Electric Cooperative prides itself on reliability. But our best efforts can’t stand up to nature’s worst. Ice storms and severe winds bring down power lines. Animals tangle with transformers. Automobiles on ice and rain snap utility poles. Most people can weather the resulting power outages until we make repairs.

“But there are members who find it very difficult to be without power for any length of time,” noted Kerry Sloan, Southwestern Electric Cooperative’s chief executive officer. “They may rely on electrically powered medical equipment, run a business from their home, or have mobility issues,” Sloan said.

The growing need for “energy assurance”—reliable, convenient backup power for those members who find it particularly difficult to be without electricity, even for a short time—led the cooperative to GUARDIAN, a leading brand of standby generator.

“A standby generator is nothing like a portable, gasoline-powered generator,” noted John Winter, Southwestern’s director of residential programs and technical services. “It looks like a central air unit, and it’s wired into your home’s electrical system. When the lights go out, your standby generator kicks on. It’s fully automated, so it operates whether you’re at home or 1,000 miles away,” he explained.

Winter compared features from many top brands before selecting GUARDIAN. “It’s the leading brand in the industry,” said Winter. “GUARDIAN generators are durable and reliable. They manufacture a wide range of generators for home and business use, so we were able to select exactly what we wanted,” he said.

“We felt that a 16-kilowatt generator would satisfy the needs of most homeowners, so that’s what we’ve elected to offer. It’s big enough to power your home, or select circuits, yet still within the budget of someone who needs a standby generator,” said Winter. “It’s a brand we can trust. That’s why we chose to make GUARDIAN the cornerstone of our new ENERGY ASSURANCE program,” Winter said.

ENERGY ASSURANCE Program

There’s more to ENERGY ASSURANCE than a standby generator. The program is designed to be a convenient, reliable package solution for members who want standby power. In addition to the GUARDIAN generator, the program includes generator and propane fuel line installation, low-interest financing, a convenient payment plan—and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re working with Southwestern Electric.

“Normally, someone in the market for a standby generator would research the product line, purchase their generator, research contractors, select one to do the installation, select a propane company to install the fuel lines and set a tank if they needed it, then call us to make sure the system has been installed properly,” explained Winter. “Southwestern members can call or email us. We take care of the rest.”

Through the ENERGY ASSURANCE program, Southwestern members can finance the project at 5 percent interest and include the payments in their Southwestern Electric bill.

ENERGY ASSURANCE customers will receive fuel for their standby generator from Propane Plus, Southwestern’s propane subsidiary.

“We’ll run the fuel lines from the member’s tank to their standby generator, or set a tank for them if they need one,” said Bob Bowen, operations manager for Propane Plus. “A propane-fueled standby generator can power your furnace, lights, refrigerators, air-conditioning, and home medical and health equipment. And because it runs on propane, you don’t have to make daily trips for gasoline, run extension cords, or step into a storm to start it,” he said.

Bowen noted that on average, a 250-gallon propane tank fueling a 16-kilowatt standby generator would provide enough electricity to power a home for five days.

Included in Southwestern’s ENERGY ASSURANCE program are:

• • 16-kilowatt GUARDIAN Generator
  
• • Automatic Transfer Switch
  
• • Generator fuel shut-off valve
  
• • Automatic shutdown protection system
  
• • Factory warranted generator enclosure
  
• • Propane fuel and line installation
  
• • 5-percent financing
  
• • Convenient payment plan
  
  

Like any piece of durable, high-end equipment with sophisticated electronics on board, backup generators don’t come cheap. “Most members won’t be able to justify the cost on a return-on-investment basis—our outages are infrequent and usually don’t last very long,” Winter said. “The price will vary somewhat from home to home, depending on unit siting and if propane lines are already in place. But on average, the entire ENERGY ASSURANCE program—generator, installation and the propane component—will come in at about $6,000,” Winter said.

No Hassle Backup Energy

Unlike gasoline-powered generators, standby generators automatically provide electricity to your home during a power outage. A standby generator’s automatic system monitors your home’s utility power 24 hours a day. When power from the utility line fails, the automatic transfer switch (ATS) disconnects the utility feed wires and connects the generator feed.

The auto-disconnect feature isolates your home and prevents power from back-feeding into Southwestern’s distribution system, where it can jeopardize the lives of linemen and other utility workers.

“Once you’re disconnected from Southwestern’s distribution system, the generator kicks on and draws propane through a line running from your tank,” said Bowen. “The generator converts our product, propane, into electricity that energizes select circuits in your home.” GUARDIAN monitors Southwestern’s system, shutting itself down and re-connecting your home to Southwestern’s distribution system when the power outage ends. Following an outage, the generator returns to standby mode, ready to power-up when needed.

“A propane-fueled standby generator is far more safe and convenient than a portable generator,” said Bowen. “Portable generators are fueled by gasoline, which can be difficult to obtain, store and transport during an outage. And they supply electricity to a few selected appliances through extension cords, which can be difficult to use safely in a storm.”

Carbon monoxide is another hazard created by portable generators, and weather can complicate their safe set-up and use. By contrast, propane is a safe, long-term fuel supply and more environmentally friendly than gasoline or diesel fuels.

Finally, the GUARDIAN standby generator will perform its own maintenance routine. Each week, the generator will switch on for six minutes. During that time, the engine is lubricated, the battery charged and a diagnostics check performed.

For more information about Southwestern Electric’s new ENERGY ASSURANCE program, call John Winter at (800) 637-8667 or send email to john.winter@sweci.com.