(Un)scary blackout for Lviv. This is how the city is stocking up on generators

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The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine abolished taxes on the import of generators and other equipment necessary for the heating season. This means that now, it can be imported at a cost price.

Having interviewed some Lviv companies, we found out how they provide themselves with backup power sources and how prepared they are for a possible blackout. We also asked the sellers of this equipment about the current market situation, whether the demand has increased significantly, and which generators should be chosen for a large enterprise, an individual house or an apartment.

How are Lviv companies preparing for a blackout?

"Back on February 24, we realized that different situations could arise. Then we bought a generator for !FESTrepublic [creative space] to provide ourselves with electricity, because we positioned this location as one of the safe places. Already after the shelling in October, we decided to limit the use of electricity in our establishments: in the evenings, where possible, we turn off excess lights in our restaurants, and visitors sit by candles," - said Taras Maselko, head of the PR department of the "!FEST" Holding of Emotions.

One of the largest restaurant chains in Lviv, “!Fest” have purchased 10 additional generators. According to Taras Maselko, two of them have already been installed at !FESTrepublic, so that in the absence of electricity, the institution will be fully supplied with autonomous power from backup sources. 

In addition, some establishments like "Rebernya" [meat restaurant of the “!Fest” network; there are three of them in Lviv] had generators even before February 24. They were needed because of the grills that have hydrofilters and heat water, so there should be an uninterrupted supply of electricity for them to function.


The illustrative photo 

The backup source is chosen based on the power needed by an institution. Entrepreneur Roman Zafiyovskyi said that he buys generators for a car service and a warehouse, but also has a one for his own home. While household generators with a capacity of 3-5 kW are suitable for warehouses, as well as for homes, a car service needs more powerful generators capable of withstanding a load of 10 kW.

"A simple single-phase generator is enough for warehouses. It’s not too expensive, costing within 25 thousand hryvnias. I am talking about 4-kilowatt generators, although I took the one with 5 kilowatts, to have a little margin. It is completely enough to keep the light on, the computer working, and for other small household needs to be fulfilled. I use the same generator at home.

As for the car service, everything is much more complicated because there is energy-consuming equipment, the three-phase motors. That is, such a generator must have voltage stabilization between phases to withstand a load of 10 kilowatts or more. Its cost is from 2-2.5 thousand euros," - Roman Zafiyovskyi explains.

Business owners understand it is better to invest money in a generator and "recoup" its value over a certain period of operation than to have direct losses. There is also talk of competition: the one who is provided with a backup power supply, has a one hundred per cent opportunity to defeat the competitors who don't have it.

The Lviv IT company SoftServe started equipping production centers with diesel generators back in 2014, after the Maidan began. In the office buildings where it was not physically possible to install them, power was obtained from the priority power supply line. In this way, the company completely eliminated the risks of a lack of electricity before the start of this war, according to Yurii Stohniy, SoftServe Senior Vice President for Administrative Affairs.

"Our diesel generators work autonomously and are designed for home infrastructure that takes the load. While the diesel generators reach their productive capacity, which is about 2 minutes, the home UPS [uninterruptible power supplies] take over the voltage drops. In the combination, it all gives a powerful result.

Our diesel generators are large machines that have a capacity of 250 to 900 liters and can work 24/7, but only if refuelled in time. That is, they can withstand a long-term load. What's interesting is that those machines that are loaded from the office can work from 8 to 12 hours, some even up to 15 hours continuously at one fuelling," - he says.

According to Yurii Stohniy, after the large-scale power outages on October 10, the company decided to provide its diesel generators with additional fuel, and is currently preparing to buy a large number of additional backup power sources.

Another advantage of SoftServe's power supply system is that in the less prioritised offices, they turn off the power supply manually, and employees go to work in other locations. In this way, electricity consumption from diesel generators is optimized. In addition, this consumption can be limited not only in buildings, but also on individual floors if they are filled to 50, 30 or 20%, SoftServe's representative noted.


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What is suitable for enterprises, and what for private houses?

Lviv City Council has approved the program, according to which condominiums will be compensated half of the cost of the generators they purchased. In our previous interview, the leaders of Lviv condominiums told how a few months ago, some of them bought generators in case of an emergency due to the large-scale power outages as a result of the attacks.

Developer Serhii Baranovskyi, who has been working on the generator market since 2010, claims that the demand for them has grown rapidly in recent months. Ukraine does not have and does not produce generators, so they are brought from abroad. And if earlier, importers delivered one container of generators every six months to a year, now the volume of supply is 12 containers. That is, the demand has increased at least 10 times.

Serhii sells generators with a capacity of up to 10-12 kW. More powerful ones, suitable for enterprises, are not traded. He says that there are practically no household generators left in the countries closest to us - all of them are either already in Ukraine or will soon arrive here.

"I will say that all neighbouring countries no longer have generators for household needs. There is none in Turkey, nor in Poland, nor in nearby or distant European countries. First, cheap generators are sold, then medium-priced ones, and then - the more expensive ones. Those that can still be brought from Europe are expensive. According to the transporters, Europeans have already started buying generators for themselves just in case," - Serhii Baranovskyi noted.

The developer explains that generators are usually diesel and gasoline, as well as conventional and inverter. Diesel ones are most suitable for large enterprises, not for home use. Due to being heavy, they work differently than gasoline ones and are more difficult to maintain. The diesel ones have excellent noise insulation, cooling system, but are significantly more expensive. The price for a good diesel generator starts from UAH 100,000.


The illustrative photo 

"For private houses, I would recommend a gasoline one, because it is easier to maintain, it will start in any weather, and there are more specialists who can repair it. Despite all warranty obligations, you should try to use generators so that they do not break. There are not many specialists in Lviv who repair generators, and they are already overwhelmed with work for a month. Meanwhile, the cold season hasn't even started yet.

Regular oil changes are important in the operation of generators. It just seems like you bought a generator and are lucky. The first replacement takes place after 20 operating hours. Then, each subsequent oil change is 50 engine hours,” - the seller explains.

There are also gas generators of two types: compact ones, designed to burn liquefied gas from cylinders (some can be filled with gasoline), and stationary generators - large and powerful ones, designed to be connected to a centralized gas supply system (their installation requires the permission of the gas supply company). Choosing between a conventional and inverter generator, the first ones are better suited for individual houses, while the second ones - for apartments. 

Serhii Baranovskyi also explained that thanks to a generator with a capacity of 1.6 kW, it is possible to turn on the boiler, refrigerator, all lights, laptop, and charge phones in the apartment.

An individual house requires power from 3 kW, since the pump is working there. Another difference between the inverter generator and the conventional one is that the first one can start any boiler and household appliances, while with the conventional one, not everything can be charged.

It is also worth understanding that the greater the power of the generator, the more fuel it will consume. If the power is 3 kW, then the generator will use 1-1.5 liters of fuel per hour. If it is 5 kW, then it will be 3-3.5 liters. Even if the generator is not used at full capacity, it will still use the same amount of fuel.

Yulia Osym, translated by Vitalii Holich


Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.


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