Dedicated 69 KV Substation and Transformer Yard
The facility is a priority customer of SMUD. We have our own dedicated Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) substation and transformer yard located on our property. Our substation is fed by redundant substations located a quarter mile away at the regional Natomas-Area SMUD Complex.
4 – Caterpillar Diesel Generators
The facility has four (4) two-megawatt diesel generators (N+1). Each 16 cylinder generator is fully redundant (starters, batteries, fuel pumps, etc.) and kept at a constant 120 degrees in order to start, synchronize and load balance within 13 seconds of a power outage. The generators are run every 30 days and twice a year a 2Mw load is put on each to test their ability to operate at full capacity.
2 – 8,000 Gallon Fuel Storage
The facility has two (2) 8,000 gallon fuel tanks. These fuel tanks are serviced by two fuel suppliers with four-hour priority response contracts. Under our current electrical load can fully operate on generator power for over 3 days!!
6 – Switch and Paralleling Gear Units
The facility has switch gear (N+1) which allows for the safe transfer from utility power to generator power. In the event of a utility power failure, the paralleling gear (N+1) automatically starts, synchronizes, load balances and switches from the transformer yard to all four generators within 13 seconds. During the next 32 seconds the power is stepped-up to the batteries and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). The entire process takes 45 seconds from the time utility power is lost until the generator is fully powering the facility.
Battery Packs
The facility has substantial batteries (N+2) that can currently operate the entire facility well in excess of the time that it takes for the generators to deliver emergency power. All power goes through the batteries prior to distribution to the customer space.
10 – UPS and 33 – PDU
The facility has ten (10) UPS units (N+2) and thirty-three (33) Power Distribution Units (PDUs) (N+1). The PDUs are all connected to two (2) separate UPS units and have Automatic Transfer Switches.