FEATURED PROJECT
Critical Facility Standby Generator Installation
Temperature-Controlled Storage & Distribution | Northwest Suburbs
Electrical & Emergency Power | 175 kW Diesel Generator
Althoff Industries delivered a carefully coordinated standby power system designed to protect temperature-sensitive inventory, maintain critical refrigeration operations, and reduce the facility’s exposure during an extended utility outage.
SITE PREPARATION
Underground conduit preparation Â
Excavation and foundation preparation
Concrete pad
formwork
Completed pad and protective bollards
equipment installation
Generator being
set by crane
Completed generator installation
Interior switchgear and ATS installation
Concrete pad formwork
Generator being set by crane
Project Overview
Althoff Industries installed a 175 kW diesel standby generator for a temperature-controlled storage and distribution facility in Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs.
Because the facility houses critical products requiring continuous refrigeration and freezer operation, a prolonged utility outage could result in significant inventory losses and disruption to business operations. The completed system provides facility-wide emergency power through a 400A automatic transfer switch integrated with the existing electrical distribution system.
THE CHALLENGE
Determining an acceptable generator location presented significant technical and logistical challenges. Three potential locations were evaluated, and the design evolved from a ground-mounted diesel generator to a rooftop natural-gas installation before ultimately returning to a diesel generator at an alternative ground-level location.
Each option required consideration of available space, equipment access, electrical infrastructure, operating noise, landlord requirements, and local approvals. Municipal permitting and additional State Fire Marshal requirements also required continued coordination throughout the project.
The final installation and electrical cutover had to be completed with minimal interruption to the refrigeration and freezer systems protecting the facility’s critical inventory.
THE SOLUTION
Althoff worked closely with the customer, landlord, engineering professionals, generator manufacturer, equipment suppliers, regulatory authorities, and field personnel to evaluate the available options and develop a mutually acceptable installation plan.
Facility electrical loads were carefully evaluated to properly size the generator, with particular attention given to the refrigeration and freezer equipment. The selected system included a Level 2 sound-attenuated enclosure and a double-wall diesel fuel tank designed to provide approximately 23 hours of runtime under the manufacturer’s specified conditions.
To reduce facility downtime, Althoff prefabricated the transfer-switch installation and prepared the normal-power and generator-power connections, conduit, and wiring before the scheduled cutover. This advance preparation allowed the team to complete the final transition efficiently and limit the power interruption.
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ELECTRICAL SCOPE
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Installation of a 175 kW, 480V, three-phase diesel standby generator
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Installation of a 400A automatic transfer switch
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Integration with the existing electrical distribution system
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Generator sizing and electrical-load coordination
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Level 2 sound-attenuated generator enclosure
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Double-wall diesel fuel tank providing approximately 23 hours of runtime
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Electrical feeders, conduit, controls, and supporting infrastructure
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Municipal permitting and State Fire Marshal coordination
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Equipment testing, startup, and commissioning
THE RESULT
The completed system provides reliable standby power designed to protect the facility’s temperature-sensitive inventory and critical operating systems during a utility outage.
Through extensive prefabrication and detailed cutover planning, Althoff limited the facility’s final power interruption to approximately two hours. The project successfully navigated multiple design revisions, landlord requirements, municipal permitting, additional State Fire Marshal requirements, equipment procurement, and construction coordination.
This project demonstrates Althoff’s ability to deliver complex emergency-power infrastructure through careful planning, technical coordination, experienced electrical construction, and centralized project management.