Davis and Shirtliff unveils uninterruptible power back up systems

By Eric Akasa

 Energy equipment supplier Davis and Shirtliff is offering a electricity backup system that provides a completely seamless transition between grid supply, battery backup and generator operation: as a complete protection against endemic power interruptions.

Electricity is the fourth biggest business constraint after tax rates, access to finance, and informal sector practices, according to the World Bank, with up to 12 per cent of Kenyan businesses blaming frequent electricity interruptions for low productivity.

On average, businesses experience 7 blackouts every month, some lasting up to 12 hours. In one incident last year, a number of companies ten kilometres outside Nairobi incurred some Sh20 million in losses due to power outages, which lasted for three consecutive days, forcing them to use stand-by generators that are prohibitively expensive to run, reported sabahionline.com.

Orata International Ltd., an animal-feed manufacturing company based in Nairobi's industrial area, said it lost more than Sh3million($36,000) in just March and April last year due to blackouts.

“Even where there's a generator, for some businesses, the data loss due to computers going off during certain tasks can take a team back by months,” said Mr. David Gatende, Deputy CEO at Davis and Shirtliff Group.

However, the power back up supply system promises to end such damage.

“Its a flexible system that gives priority to either generator or inverter system, depending on clients' needs,” said Mr. Gatende.

The system ensures that when power goes off there is no interruption to ongoing work and computers remain on, as the inverter takes over supply for up to 7 hours, after which the generator comes on, powering the premises as it also recharges the inverter.

Companies running sensitive businesses that rely on a continuous flow of power are now using the power system with impressive results. Onfone Media is one such company. The company specializes in SMS solutions and computer system design, licensed by CCK, and serves banks, radio stations and government institutions across East Africa.

“Our systems are supposed to run 24hrs a day. Whenever there is a blackout, it is not only our business that is affected, but those of our clients, making it imperative to have a reliable back up system,” said Mr. Francis Mulunda of Onfone Media.

At present, many companies use generators as their sole power back up, many generators however are significantly louder producing sounds of around 85 decibels unlike the Cooper Eco-pack generators that run at an average 70 decibels, producing sound equivalent to an average conversation.

“We offer a wide range of generators for various needs, the Cooper generator for instance is incorporated for clients who prioritize silence in their backup system, and they are also very fuel efficient ” added Mr. Gatende.

Davis and Shirtliff is the sole distributor of Cooper Ecopack generators in Kenya. Cooper Ecopack generators are available in 3 sizes: 15, 20 and 30 kVA. The sets also feature electronic operational diagnosis where they are connected to a computer to analyse defects and optimise operation thus improving reliability and minimising operation costs. Support can be provided in the form part of a yearly service contract which offers a maximum response time of 24 hours.

The multinational is a major player in the market for power products, offering inverter/battery backup solutions from 350 W to 11,000W and generators from portable 0.5 kVA units to large stationary generators with outputs up to 375 kVA.