Being self-sufficient during storm season is imperative. Especially when A- It's an aged care facility. and B- the area floods easily.
One lesson learned from the past several years of increased storm activity- when the power fails, and you're flooded in, it makes for a miserable time. Add to this, the facility in question is an aged care provider, things can turn south very quickly. Think medication, food, airbeds and electric mattresses, life preservation equipment- it turns from miserable to life sustaining very quick. It's a big list.
The POWER This installation included a 150 kVA Pramac diesel generator, powered by a Perkins engine and paired with a Mecc Alte alternator.
PRAMAC was selected for its well-supported industrial platform, proven engine and alternator combination, and suitability for critical standby applications. Italian engineering, local support. For an aged-care facility, the objective is straightforward: a generator system that starts, carries its intended load and supports the building when it is needed. Reliable power. Every time.
The BRAINS The generator package incorporates Deep Sea Electronics control gear (made in England), providing clear operating status, alarms and generator protection functions for site personnel and maintenance technicians. This system is monitored remotely by Capital Power Systems via the DSE WEBNET mobile app and browser platform. This is especially useful for monitoring the fuel level remotely. This site does experience cut off from external help due to flooding. On-site, the architecture includes the "Master controller" (at the generator). This monitors the grid, and performs generator starting, stopping, and transfer switch control. This is connected to the remote monitoring via the DSE Gateway. Nobody likes going out into the rain the check the generator controller, so a remote display was installed in the main switch room at the Transfer Switch.
Automatic Transfer Switching
An ABB automatic transfer switch forms the link between the grid electrical supply and the standby generator.
The quality of the transfer system matters just as much as the generator itself. A generator can be healthy and ready to run, but without a reliable ATS and controls arrangement, essential loads may not transfer as intended.
Permanent Load Bank for Ongoing Testing
An Australian made SEPHCO permanent load bank was incorporated into the project to support routine generator testing without relying solely on building load.
This gives the facility a practical way to test the generator under a known and controlled electrical load, helping verify performance of the engine, alternator, cooling system, fuel system and control equipment and to prevent diesel engine wet-stacking and glazed bores.
For an aged-care facility, that added level of confidence is valuable. Emergency power should not be left untested until the day it is urgently required.
Built for Reliability
The completed system combines a 150 kVA PRAMAC generator, Perkins engine, Mecc Alte alternator, ABB ATS, Deep Sea Electronics control equipment and a permanent load bank into one coordinated standby-power solution.
It provides this Tallebudgera Aged Care Facility with a more resilient emergency-power system and a clear path for meaningful ongoing testing, maintenance and compliance support.
Because when the power goes out, reliable backup power is not simply convenient. It protects continuity of care.
