Page 24 - may-jun 2023

C alifornia businesses are growing more cau- Cleaner backup power

tious of relying on the grid, which has been

Blue Star’s generator division comes as man-
good business for Blue Star Gas.
to the product category, particularly larger-capacity
The Santa Rosa–based propane supplier ufacturers have made several welcome advancements
recently launched a dedicated generator division to models powered by propane. This has given businesses
help meet growing demand for backup power. “We more options beyond diesel-fueled generators, which
saw tremendous growth and interest in the product have historically dominated the commercial market.
in California,” says Mark Leitman, director of Blue Star Compared with diesel, propane offers several advan-
Power Generation. Blue Star Gas has invested in power tages: It’s cheaper, it doesn’t degrade or require costly
generation and today profitably sells, installs, and ser- maintenance, burns cleaner, and poses zero contami-
vices commercial backup and prime power generators, nation risk in the event of a spill. Plus, propane gen-
winning them the Kohler Power Products ‘Dealer of erators tend to be quieter than diesel-powered units
the Year’ Award for the Western Region of the U.S. all while still meeting life safety codes that require 72

The Golden State’s aging infrastructure strains hours of onsite fuel storage.
under the impact of prolonged heatwaves, and the To make gaseous generators (those fueled by
seasonal threat of destructive wildfires — powerlines propane or natural gas) more competitive with their
have been a culprit — prompts utility providers to diesel counterparts, Kohler made several performance
proactively shut off power during extreme weather upgrades: The manufacturer’s line of larger-capacity
conditions. Buildings without supplemental power gaseous generators meets stringent Tier 4 emissions
risk spoiled food, data loss, offline emergency medical standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection
equipment, inaccessible critical infrastructure, and Agency. That means they exhaust less particulate
other costly disruptions. matter, oxides of nitrogen, and other pollutants. New
“When you combine all those things togeth- gaseous standby generators also meet the National
er, we’ve had a lot of opportunity to provide peace Fire Protection Association’s Type 10 requirements,
of mind that comes with a backup power system,” which stipulate that the units provide power within 10
Leitman says. “They can keep their business operating seconds of an outage. That’s crucial for hospitals, data
during periods of utility instability.” centers, water-treatment facilities, and other critical
infrastructure.
According to the Bay Area Air Quality Manage-
ment District, the region’s air pollution control agency, “The large gaseous generator
the number of backup generators increased 34 percent market is growing, and because of im-
since 2018, the year of the deadliest and most destruc- proved technology, it allows gaseous to
tive wildfire season in the state’s history. compete directly with diesel. If a cus-

Businesses installing standby generators tomer is looking for an environmentally
include supermarkets and convenience stores (any op- friendly generator, gaseous may be a
eration that requires refrigeration), medical facilities, better option than diesel.”
data centers, first responders, airports, and more. -Amy Haese, Koehler

24 Alabama Propane Gas Association | May / June 2023