Electricity Reforms Act and Diesel Generators
Hi Folks, We telehouse at a number of facilities throughout New Zealand. We typically provide our own batteries and contract for use of an on-site diesel generator. At most sites we are not able to put in our own generator. We were recently informed by Kordia (BCL) that they can no longer allow us to use standby generator power at their sites due to the Electricity Reforms Act. "BCL is deemed to be a Line Company under the Electricity Reforms Act and therefore is unable to also be classified as a Generator. On that basis, BCL is no longer able to provide you with Standby Generator Power for upgrades to existing or new services." This effectively bars us from providing carrier grade telecommunications services from BCL sites. One might say "use different sites" or "build your own towers", but these are not options as these towers were built by the government before the times of the Resource Management Act in unique locations where new towers cannot be built. Can they do this? Are they doing this to everyone, or just us? Thanks, Jonathan Brewer
On 11/30/06, Jonathan Brewer
"BCL is deemed to be a Line Company under the Electricity Reforms Act and therefore is unable to also be classified as a Generator. On that basis, BCL is no longer able to provide you with Standby Generator Power for upgrades to existing or new services."
This effectively bars us from providing carrier grade telecommunications services from BCL sites.
My understanding of the act is that there is a limit per site of embedded power (2 MW??) and also total limit for a company (30 MW ??) before they become a power company. I suspect they have hit these limits. They can apply for exemption to these limits to the government but this is probably a slow process. The quickest way to solve is if you buy the generator I would guess. (NB This is my recollection from working in electricity industry and may not be fully accurate) Ian -- Ian McDonald Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4 Blog: http://imcdnzl.blogspot.com WAND Network Research Group Department of Computer Science University of Waikato New Zealand
Looking at Commerce Commissions website... *"Distribution *There are 28 distribution businesses ranging in size from 5,000 to nearly 500,000 electricity connections. The ownership of distribution companies is a mix of public listings, shareholder co-operatives, community trust and local body ownership. Generally, generation, transmission, and distribution are inter-linked together to supply electricity to a wide range of residential, commercial/industrial consumers. However, while most electricity is generated at power stations that feed directly into the national transmission grid (Transpower), some power stations feed electricity directly into local networks (embedded generators). Some consumers also generate electricity on site while remaining connected to the local distribution network or the transmission grid for back-up supply." The fundamental question is how do you normally get electricity supplied to you... - If your incoming power supply is a sub-main from BCL (or you have power outlets fed from one of BCLs switchboards), then basically, either directly or indirectly, BCL is selling you power, or at least to say providing you with power. By having the power supply backed up by a standby generator, would then be seen as a value added service - a bit like QoS or IPv6. From the point of view of the NZS3000 and other electrical regulations (looking at it from an electrical installation point of view), that is perfectly legal. I was just talking to someone at Comm Comm, and looking at it from the Electricity Reforms Act, it seems perfectly fine. - If your incoming power does not come from BCL, which clearly means you have your own metered supply via Genesis for example, then clearly you can't share a backup generator as you are risking back feeding into the local supply, cross-contamination, etc. Just from an electrical installation point of view, this option is illegal. /10c Jonathan Brewer wrote:
Hi Folks,
We telehouse at a number of facilities throughout New Zealand. We typically provide our own batteries and contract for use of an on-site diesel generator. At most sites we are not able to put in our own generator.
We were recently informed by Kordia (BCL) that they can no longer allow us to use standby generator power at their sites due to the Electricity Reforms Act.
"BCL is deemed to be a Line Company under the Electricity Reforms Act and therefore is unable to also be classified as a Generator. On that basis, BCL is no longer able to provide you with Standby Generator Power for upgrades to existing or new services."
This effectively bars us from providing carrier grade telecommunications services from BCL sites.
One might say "use different sites" or "build your own towers", but these are not options as these towers were built by the government before the times of the Resource Management Act in unique locations where new towers cannot be built.
Can they do this? Are they doing this to everyone, or just us?
Thanks,
Jonathan Brewer
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Ian McDonald -
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Lindsay Druett