Man-made Threats Home • Crimes • Terrorism • Unintentional Events
When the power grid breaks down due to an overwhelming power demand, a blackout can occur. The power grid is a network of power plants that collectively produce enough power to meet demand. If one plant suddenly quits producing power (lightning strike, downed power line or mechanical failure), the other plants on the network increase their output to make up the difference. If the power plants are already working near their maximum output, they will automatically shut down rather than exceed their maximum threshold. As plants shut down, they place the burden on remaining plants, which in turn also shut down. This system failure can cause blackouts that can last a few hours or days.
The loss of power and damage associated with fluctuations in the power grid do not always coincide with inclement weather. Power spikes and surges can happen when least expected, quickly and without anyone noticing.
Blackouts can knock out traffic lights, stop subway systems and shut down airports. Telephone systems crash and any electronic banking ceases. Although the effect of a blackout on the economy might not be substantial, individual businesses lose revenue from undelivered goods, valuable time waiting for phone service and critical files that either cannot be accessed or are lost forever.
Although a generator and surge suppressor provide protection against blackouts and power surges, these devices do not protect equipment from frequency variations, over-voltage, switching transients and harmonic distortion. These other distortions can degrade wiring insulation over time. Only an uninterruptible power supply can protect office systems against any power anomaly. A site power quality auditor can point out power management weaknesses and offer solutions that will prevent harm to expensive and vital equipment. Contact your electricity provider to find a power quality auditor.
Read about responding to blackouts.
