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July 21, 2025 | Blog

Power Outage Preparedness: How to Keep Facilities Operational When the Grid Fails

When the grid goes down, will your facility be ready? From emergency lights to HVAC resets, readiness isn't optional—it’s survival.

Commercial buildings face increasing risk from power outages — not only from natural disasters like hurricanes or wildfires, but also from rolling blackouts, extreme heat, and aging infrastructure.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average U.S. electricity customer experienced over 5.5 hours of power interruptions in 2022, and grid instability continues to rise in regions such as California, Texas, and the Northeast.

For property managers, a single outage can:

  • Disrupt business operations
  • Damage HVAC systems
  • Compromise life-safety systems
  • Trigger tenant complaints or SLA violations

Yet many buildings are underprepared. This blog outlines how to build resilience into your facility’s systems — from lighting to HVAC resets — and how to avoid costly operational downtime.

1. Understanding the Grid Strain During Summer

Understanding the Grid Strain During Summer

Why the Grid Fails More Often in the Summer

Increased air conditioner usage, higher tenant occupancy, and extreme temperatures all strain the power grid. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warned that two-thirds of North America is at elevated risk of energy emergencies during summer months due to peak demand and constrained supply.

Rolling Blackouts vs. Unplanned Outages

  • Rolling Blackouts are preemptive shutoffs to balance grid demand
  • Unplanned Outages result from storm damage, transformer failure, or system overload

In both cases, commercial properties must be able to function — or recover quickly — to maintain operations, safety, and tenant satisfaction.

2. Emergency Lighting: The First Line of Safety

Emergency Lighting: The First Line of Safety

When the power goes out, emergency lighting systems should activate instantly to illuminate exit routes, stairwells, and high-traffic areas.

⚠️ Common Weak Spots in Commercial Properties:

  • Exit signs with expired batteries
  • Emergency ballasts that haven’t been tested in years
  • Manual overrides that facility staff can’t locate in the dark

✅ Best Practices:

Failing to comply can not only endanger occupants but also result in liability during inspections or post-incident investigations.

3. Backup Power Systems: More Than Just a Generator

Backup Power Systems: More Than Just a Generator

Many property managers assume a generator solves all problems. But backup power systems often involve layers of protection that must be actively maintained.

🔋 Key Components of a Reliable Backup System:

  • Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): Supports mission-critical systems (e.g., data centers, access control, fire panels)
  • Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS): Ensures seamless power handoff during an outage
  • Battery Systems: Keep lights, elevators, and alarms running until generators engage

📊 According to Schneider Electric, over 70% of UPS failures are caused by battery-related issues — often from age, temperature, or lack of maintenance.

✅ Preventive Actions:

  • Schedule semi-annual load testing and inspection of your battery backup system
  • Train on-site personnel to respond to ATS faults or generator failure alerts
  • Partner with vendors for monthly fuel checks and generator system health review

4. HVAC Systems: Post-Outage Reset Readiness

HVAC Systems: Post-Outage Reset Readiness

HVAC systems are among the most sensitive to power loss. Upon outage restoration, they don’t always restart automatically — particularly in buildings with complex Building Management Systems (BMS).

⚙️ Risks Post-Outage:

  • Units blowing warm air
  • Loss of zone controls
  • Damaged compressors from hard restarts
  • Thermostat communication errors

✅ Reset Readiness Plan:

  • Maintain written reset protocols for each HVAC system type
  • Ensure BMS programming includes auto-recovery sequences
  • Train facility staff or vendors to safely bring systems back online
  • Schedule post-outage diagnostic reviews (check refrigerant, motors, fan belts)

5. Elevators, Access Control & Life-Safety Systems

Elevators, Access Control & Life-Safety Systems

Don’t forget about the systems that affect your tenants most directly:

🚨 After an Outage, Check:

  • Elevators for proper return-to-floor programming and battery backup
  • Card access systems for power restoration and badge reader reset
  • Fire alarm panels for fault alerts or system errors
  • Security camera systems for reboot or restart sequencing

These often require coordination with third-party vendors, so your preparedness plan should include:

  • A current vendor contact list
  • SLA terms for emergency dispatch
  • Building access instructions for after-hours support

6. Actionable Checklist: Building a Power Outage Response Plan

7. The Cost of Downtime: Real-World Financial Impact

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that power outages cost the commercial sector $27 billion annually, largely due to:

  • Lost tenant productivity
  • Damaged systems from improper restarts
  • Emergency vendor call-outs
  • Missed lease compliance benchmarks

Even a 2-hour outage in a 100,000 sq. ft. building can result in $10,000–$40,000 in unplanned costs, according to EnergySage.

How Servi-Tek Helps You Stay Prepared

While we don’t sell or install generators, our Engineering Services Team partners with your existing vendors to:

  • Conduct pre-outage walk-throughs
  • Verify battery backups and emergency lighting
  • Review HVAC reset sequences
  • Provide documentation and guidance for your BMS
  • Support post-event inspections and diagnostics

We serve as an extension of your operations team, helping reduce risk while maintaining continuity.

Schedule Your Free Facility Readiness Walk-Through

Want expert eyes on your building’s outage readiness? Servi-Tek offers no-cost walk-throughs to evaluate your emergency lighting, recovery protocols, and operational risk. Schedule a walk-through with a facility specialist

ServiTek Contact Information

Hidden inefficiencies could be costing you thousands! Get a free facility audit today.

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