How can businesses protect themselves against power cuts?
Commercial enterprises and public institutions can better protect themselves against power cuts at a reasonable cost. This also enables you to enhance your ability to respond to critical business processes. By implementing these measures, you can ensure that your organisation is better equipped to cope with power cuts.
A checklist we have drawn up will help you to optimise your organisation’s resilience.
For example, does your company have the option of installing a photovoltaic system? When combined with a battery storage system and a suitable emergency or backup power supply, this can ensure that key areas continue to operate, at least temporarily.
This means that communication systems, IT workstations, security systems and other business-critical applications can be maintained even in the event of a power cut.
Please note:
Changes to a building’s electrical installations should never be carried out by yourself, but only by a qualified electrical contractor.
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Optimising building installations
As a property owner, you can have the electrical installation in your property adapted by a specialist firm so that you remain supplied with power for at least a certain period during a power cut.
Please check which of your processes are business-critical, which systems must be available at all times, and what dependencies arise from this.
Note on the backup power supply
If a single-phase emergency power supply is available, the most important electrical loads in your building will continue to be powered.
This ensures that you can continue to operate even in the event of a power cut. If a three-phase emergency power supply is available, operational processes can usually even continue without any major restrictions.
You should always keep an eye on your operational processes and set priorities to ensure you can continue to operate.
Connecting mobile power sources
To integrate off-grid power sources, such as emergency generators, into your domestic electrical installation, you will need to take certain precautions.
Retrofitting existing buildings is often complex and costly.
In new builds or where modernisation is planned, however, the necessary measures can be implemented efficiently and cost-effectively.
Solar PV system + battery storage
If, as a homeowner, you combine your solar PV system with a battery storage unit fitted with an off-grid-capable inverter, you will have your own emergency power supply to which you can connect your most essential appliances.
Note on the emergency power supply with battery storage:
To ensure the emergency power supply works optimally, your building’s electrical installation must be suitably prepared. This will enable the battery storage system to continue supplying power to the most important systems and circuits in the event of a power cut.
Emergency power supply for your business
An emergency power supply ensures that critical electrical loads continue to be powered without interruption or are quickly restored in the event of a power cut.
Stationary emergency power supply system
This is a permanently installed emergency power supply system. It can maintain the power supply to one or more parts of the customer’s electrical installation. In the event of a failure of the public electricity grid, the system supplies power to specified loads and is permanently connected to the electrical installation.
The requirements are based, amongst other things, on DIN VDE 0100-560 and the technical connection regulations VDE-AR-N 4100 and VDE-AR-N 4105.
Portable generator: Preparing the connection
The electrical system at your premises has a permanently installed feed-in point with a mains/generator changeover switch designed to accommodate a mobile generator.
In the event of an incident, this allows a mobile emergency generator to be connected promptly. It is essential to comply with the relevant VDE regulations and technical connection rules.
Your electrical contractor will provide you with further information on this.
Note on the safety power supply:
Where safety-related consumers such as emergency lighting, fire alarm systems, ventilation systems, lifts or medical equipment are supplied, this constitutes a power source for safety purposes in accordance with DIN VDE 0100-580. You should also consult your electrical installation contractor regarding this.
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Please use the search function on our contractor service portal.
Checklist: Measures to protect businesses from power cuts
You can boost your organisation’s resilience by following these five steps:
1. Clarify the need for provision and the required benefits
2. Create a concept using a device type
3. Assess feasibility (space and installation)
4. Approval, registration and implementation
5. Power cut test and maintenance
Further information on power cuts for businesses
To ensure you can continue to function for a while even in the event of a prolonged power cut, you can find further information here: