Energy Efficient Engine Heater for Backup Diesel Gensets

As power generation alternatives are developed and deployed, hospitals, data centers and other critical infrastructure still rely on standby generators for reliable emergency power. All standby generators come with integrated engine heaters to maintain engine temperature so they can accept full generator loading immediately upon startup. Engine heating can exceed 50,000 kWh annually based on generator size. Retrofitting backup generators with an air-source heat pump engine heater presents opportunities for reduction in energy usage, while adding redundancy for critical infrastructure. This session will present real-world data and case studies conducted independently and in partnership with local utilities demonstrating the energy savings achieved on backup diesel gensets within the United States, Europe, and the UK with air-source heat pump engine heater retrofits. Energy savings of 20,000-40,000 kWh annually for 1MW to 2.5MW generators have been modeled or realized.