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Florida Senior Living Communities Depend on Standby Power from Cat® Generators
POWER NEED
Harbor Retirement Associates offers independent senior living, providing residents with engaging activities and exceptional amenities for their vibrant, active lifestyles.
Based in Vero Beach, Florida, Harbor Retirement Associates operates 34 communities across the country branded as HarborChase, including l8 locations in Florida.
In 2018, Florida state agencies instituted new rules mandating that all nursing homes and assisted living facilities have proper standby power systems and enough fuel to sustain operations and maintain comfortable temperatures for at least 96 hours following a power outage.
As a result, Harbor Retirement Associates reviewed its standby power capabilities and commissioned several system upgrades to support the company’s ongoing commitment to the highest standards of hospitality, elegance and attentive care.
SOLUTION
Harbor Retirement Associates selected Ring Power, the local Cat® dealer, to enhance its standby power capabilities at the 92-unit HarborChase of Wildwood and 96-unit HarborChase of Villages Crossing facilities. Ring Power technicians installed and commissioned Cat C7.1, Cat C9 and Cat C13 diesel generator sets ranging from 150 kW to 400 kW.
Additionally, Ring Power supplied sound-attenuated enclosures for the generator sets, integrated diesel fuel storage and automatic transfer switches.
“If we lose power coming from the city, the emergency power kicks in,” explained Alvin Smith, senior director of maintenance for HarborChase of Wildwood. “It covers our lighting and powers all of our life safety equipment from alarms to elevators. It also provides power to all of the air conditioning in our general common areas to keep the building cool.”
In all, Harbor Retirement Associates has purchased Cat standby power solutions for 16 of its HarborChase facilities throughout the state of Florida.
The HarborChase of Wildwood community offers high-end residential living and programming for elderly residents.
HRA installed generator sets at Villages Crossing, as well as 15 other HarborChase locations in Florida.
“The guys from Ring Power are on top of it. I just call them if there’s any sort of issue, and they come to our location without hesitation. If they can’t get here that day, it’s next morning because they know how urgent it is.” – Alvin Smith
When utility power fails, automatic transfer switches activate the Cat gensets and immediately transfer the facility’s electrical load.
Facilities staff conduct periodic checks of the generator sets that include a walkaround inspection and fuel and coolant level checks.
The Cat C9 and C7.1 generator sets are housed in a sound attenuated factory enclosure positioned behind the main building.
RESULTS
The standby power systems have operated as planned since the new units were installed in 2018. The generator sets are programmed to start automatically every Monday morning to make sure the standby power is ready to run.
“We’ve had a few incidents where the utility power is off for about an hour, and once the emergency power kicks on, you don’t realize that utility power is out,” Smith recounted. “The lights flicker, and then the system transfers to backup power. Our computers still run, all of our life safety systems are still powered, and you really wouldn’t know that we’re without grid power when you walk into the building.”
When the generator sets run, the sound enclosures keep the noise levels to a minimum. “It’s not loud, and the residents don’t complain about the noise at all,” Smith observed.
Ring Power technicians provide ongoing maintenance and service through a Customer Value Agreement (CVA).
“The guys from Ring Power are on top of it,” Smith noted. “I just call them if there’s any sort of issue, and they come to our location without hesitation. Ring Power and Caterpillar stand with us by providing the expertise, technology and support that we need to continually exceed the expectations of our residents and their family members.”
