Understanding industrial losses resulting from electric service interruptions

A summary of research conducted to determine estimators of the perceived cost or losses to small industrial consumers attributable to electric service interruptions is presented. The effect on respondents with standby systems, categorized according to factors which contribute to the total industrial cost estimates and outage costs, are considered. It is shown that respondents having battery standby systems have estimated costs associated with plant/equipment damage, start up costs, and production losses much higher and total interruption costs lower than those that have an engine standby system or no standby system. Analysis indicates that roughly 50% of the respondents cannot make up lost production for any of the interruption durations considered in the study.<>