Decisions and more decisions when designing a backup power system?

In designing an emergency, legally required standby, optional standby, or critical operations power system for a facility, there are generally several factors key to the decision making process, including safety, code compliance, economics, maintenance requirements and practices, and fuel storage. Plus, applicable codes and standards include NFPA 70: National Electrical Code (NEC); NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems; and other codes and standards as they apply to backup power systems. 

 

There are significant differences among the types of backup systems. When designing generator systems for a specific facility, how do you ensure that the generator and building electrical systems they support are appropriate for the application and how do you decide whether the generators should be paralleled, where fuel should be stored, and what the switching scenarios should be?