With its reliance on constantly available energy, our high-tech world is highly vulnerable. There doesn't even have to be a major blackout for this to become clear to us. Even a fire in a single transformer from an energy supplier can cause a power outage in an entire city. While private households will no longer be able to do anything, operations will continue in many systemically important facilities and companies. This is ensured by high-performance emergency power systems and Friedrich Schaper Notstrom- und BHKW-Technik GmbH.

Friedrich Schaper Notstrom- und BHKW-Technik GmbH has been designing and constructing emergency power systems for more than 60 years. Reliability, safety, cost efficiency and the sustainable operation of these emergency power systems (NEA) are of paramount importance. As far as the service is concerned, the name of the company’s website, www.schaper24.de, says it all. Customer service is available around the clock and can help with problems as quickly as possible. The comprehensive range of services extends from the installation of small spare parts to immediate repair in the event of a fault to comprehensive motor overhaul.

Schaper installs and maintains emergency power equipment in hospitals and care facilities, fire and police stations, data centres, banks and insurance companies, utilities and many industrial companies. 

Schaper’s expertise in emergency power technology lies in maintenance-friendly design and the ready-to-use installation of stationary systems as well as flexible container solutions. Only high-quality, coordinated individual components are used. 

The heart of an emergency power system is usually a generator driven by a diesel engine. If the power fails, a maximum of 15 seconds will pass before the emergency power system starts. During this time, powerful batteries take over the power supply. The emergency power supply and battery system work together to ensure an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

Schaper only equips standby power supply systems with engines from well-known manufacturers, such as MTU or Volvo. While the smallest have an output of 50 kW, large motors, such as those used in emergency power systems in hospitals or energy companies which support the power supply, reach up to 2,000 kW. Whether small or large, the motors are almost always supplied with an engine oil based on SAE 15W-40 synthetic technology. Schaper recommends the product because it has a wide range of approvals from leading motor manufacturers, is available worldwide and has proven itself to be very effective. Depending on the motor, 5 to 200 litres are used in a major assembly.

In theory, the engine oil of an emergency power system should be changed once a year. A safety factor – but does it really make sense? With the extremely short running times of the motors, which generally only work in test mode, the oils are subjected to a correspondingly low load. In addition, this frequent change thwarts efforts to operate sustainably. Schaper consistently accompanies the use of engine oils with all-inclusive analyses from OELCHECK. Monitored in this way, the intervals between oil changes can be safely extended to up to four years. 

Dietmar Schaper, like his brother Rainer Schaper, is a Managing Director of the company: "Instead of three oil changes in four years, we only carry out one. A large system with an oil volume of 200 litres saves 600 litres or three barrels of engine oil. Of course, this approach has a negative impact on our sales and revenues. But the profit in terms of sustainability is enormous. OELCHECK’s laboratory reports perfectly document the condition and development of all lubricant parameters, both for customers and us. At the same time, they provide information concerning any weak points in the system. This type of documentation also ensures security and trust for our customers!"