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Power Onward is the podcast that unveils how power technology shapes your everyday life.
From the tech powering your daily life to the innovations driving industries forward, we talk about it all.
Brought to you by Cummins, each episode explores what’s fueling the future and why it matters for your mission, business, and community.
This is Power Onwards,
the podcast that unveils how power
technology shapes your everyday life.
You are listening to Power Words.
What is power in your world On
this is Power Onward,
the podcast that unveils how power
technology shapes your everyday life.
You all remember the 2005 smash hit?
How to Save a Life by the Fray, right?
Well, across the world,
healthcare professionals embody that
song day in and day out to do their jobs
well and save countless lives.
They rely on power technology,
those operating rooms, imaging machines,
HVAC systems, they all depend on power.
So what happens when there's
an outage, just 10 seconds.
That's all the wiggle room we
have to get the power back on.
And in a world where every second counts,
there's no room for failure. I'm Kim.
I'm Nick.
Nick. 10 seconds doesn't feel
like that much time at all.
We know there's no room for flat
lines when it comes to saving lives,
and today we're going to discuss why
there's no room for downtime and hospital
power systems.
How does power technology come into
play in the world of healthcare?
I think in healthcare more
than any other market we serve,
the need for backup power
is pretty intuitive.
We all understand that hospitals
rely on power for most of the
operations that go on
within that facility,
and probably more than any other
facility you can think about.
If the power goes out,
there's a more severe consequence
and that is that lives depend on it.
And so backup power is critical
to kind of the backbone of
operations in a hospital.
It's really the foundation of what allows
us to confidently go forward with all
of the lifesaving procedures
and activities happening
within the walls of that
hospital. So while the
ones on the front lines,
the healthcare heroes are
really the ones doing the work,
they are relying on that backup power to
make sure that they can continue their
operations. Uninterrupted.
Power tech is becoming
more and more critical.
Can you give us a little bit
more insight into why that is?
Yeah,
so we talked about why power technology
is critical in healthcare in general.
It doesn't matter what
times we're living in,
but when you look at today's day
and age and what's happening,
all of the different
factors going into power,
there's an interesting story there.
So not only are hospitals more
electricity dependent than ever before,
as hospitals become more tech driven,
they move away from combustion
and really move toward electrified
infrastructure. They see a lot
more patients than ever before,
but the grid itself is also becoming
more unstable as these mega facilities
like data centers come online
and kind of stress that grid.
And so you've got these two forces
that kind of result in this need for
increased resiliency across the
board, but especially in healthcare.
And so we're stepping in to try and see
how we can support customers on their
resiliency journey.
Frequently when people think
about hospitals and healthcare,
I think they typically think about
the doctors and nurses rightfully,
but what are some surprising ways that
Cummins healthcare power solutions impact
people's lives without them even knowing?
Yeah,
I like to think of some of the behind
the scenes systems that we power that
people don't usually think about.
There are a lot of obvious ones that are
powered anything in an operating room,
the emergency room,
sensitive medical equipment.
But there are some really important
systems that are more subtle.
Things like HVAC systems that control
the spread of infection by regulating air
pressure in certain rooms. So if
a room has positive air pressure,
air flows out of the room.
And this happens in operating rooms
where you want to keep contaminants out.
If a room has negative air pressure,
then it keeps things
contained inside that room.
So if there's an isolation room where
there's a disease that we want to keep
from spreading to other rooms,
that air pressure is critical.
So those systems all rely
on power. Additionally,
there are things like labs
that store vaccines, medicine,
blood at strict temperatures and
humidity levels. And so again,
even a brief power outage can change that
kind of level that they need to be at
and compromise valuable resources.
And then of course there's things like
servers and IT equipment as well that we
don't see that and
often don't think about,
but hospitals and doctors and nurses
have to access patient records quickly
on the fly. If someone comes into the
emergency room during a power outage,
they need to understand
what's their medical history,
what are they allergic to?
And so all of these things that may not
be the first thing you see when you walk
into a healthcare facility are
just as critical to helping those
operations continue.
For someone who has been fortunate
enough to not have to know what goes on
behind the scenes.
That's a really thorough picture of all
the ways that power does take in effect
when it comes to a power outage.
How long would you say we have?
I think I noted 10
seconds in the beginning,
but is it truly 10 seconds and what goes
on behind the scenes during those 10
seconds?
Yeah, those 10 seconds are a
lot busier than people realize.
There are several different components
of power systems beyond just the
generator. So we're
talking about healthcare.
So I like to think of all the different
elements of a power system kind of in
terms of our anatomy. So you think
of the generator being the heart,
the transfer switch is sort
of a reflex. The control,
the system control is
the brains of the system.
And then you have the switch gear,
which is the circulatory system pumping
that power through the rest of the
system. And so when you think about
all of those working together,
there are signals that are being
sent automatically and instantly
between each of those pieces of equipment
to make sure things are turning on
when need to. So when
you're in a hospital,
the reality is you probably won't notice
the power going out. There's not a ten
second gap because most hospitals have
actually a battery system that will hold
them over for a few seconds that turns
on just for a temporary amount of time
and allows the generator to
get back up in 10 seconds.
And healthcare is a really highly
regulated space because it is
so critical with such severe
consequences. And so because of that,
there are numerous codes and standards
that facilities have to follow and
that's where that ten second
requirement comes from.
It comes from one of the key
backup power standards in the us,
which for these critical applications,
we need to have power generating
in 10 seconds, but in the meantime,
we've got some safety measures to make
sure you're not without power for that
time either.
I was out in your area in Shoreview
and I was at the pick lab.
I guess that's technically
Fridley, Minnesota, correct?
Yep, not far.
Was that an accurate demonstration
of what you mean? To me,
it was like a blink of an eye. I
actually didn't notice power was out,
but all that was happening
behind the scenes as well.
Yeah, absolutely.
And I think it's pretty incredible
to think of how quickly within
milliseconds equipment can sense that
there's an outage and immediately trigger
that transition to flip the
switch on the a TS from utility to
backup power. And then we've got the UPS,
the uninterruptible power supply come in
for that short period of time while the
generator kind of kicks in
and starts up. And in reality,
our generators actually start
up in even less than 10 seconds,
but there are a few gaps in there where
you have to account for the amount of
time it takes for the transfer
switch to kick over and whatnot.
So it's very highly engineered
approach to meeting this
ten second requirement, but
thank goodness it's there. Right.
Definitely.
You had mentioned A TS and UPS and I
made a mental note for our listeners that
don't know what that stands for. Can
you please break those two things down?
Yeah, yeah. A TS
automatic transfer switch.
The automatic transfer switch is the piece
of equipment that transfers the power
from the utility to the backup supply.
And then the UPS is
uninterruptible power supply,
and that's typically a battery that
will quickly come online and hold over
that power, breathe life into the system
for a brief amount of time. At Cummins,
we actually don't make
Uninterruptable power supplies UPSs,
but we do make all of the other equipment
that's part of the power system.
That's actually something that's really
incredible about Cummins is we make all
of these components, they're
designed to work together.
So you think of how
complex that system is.
One single failure point can
mess up that whole process.
And so it's really critical that customers
can trust in every single component
of that power system.
And it's nice to know that here at
Cummins we design those to work together.
And so there's a lot of trust and
reliability there with that system design.
Alright, Nick, so it seems like
Cummins has been in this space decades.
What sets us apart when it comes
to powering healthcare facilities?
So we have been here for decades
and that in and of itself is one of
our key advantages. We know
the space, we know the codes,
we help write the codes.
And so our experience and expertise means
that we're uniquely positioned to help
engineers,
facility managers get the right system
design and then maintain that system.
Another thing is what I just
mentioned in my previous response,
we are truly a single source manufacturer
of all of our major components.
So they are designed to work together
seamlessly and it allows for us
to be kind of a single
source contact as well.
If customers don't have to reach out
to all these different manufacturers,
they've got one source that they
can count on for their support
and who can be accountable for their
entire power system. And finally,
innovation.
I think we are really showing
off how we are an innovative
company across the board. I think this
podcast has illustrated that well.
I think our technology
is really one of a kind.
We have award-winning generators where
for the past few years we've released
generator sets that have taken certain
standards of the industry to a whole new
level with more compact designs,
more efficiency, more sustainability.
We also have new technologies like
battery energy storage systems.
And so if you choose
Cummins as your provider,
you're entering this partnership of
innovation where the next healthcare
facility you build can get even
better products than what you have.
And we'll have new solutions for you
to help you reach your sustainability
goals.
So from what I'm hearing,
we're a one-stop shop, right?
We've got the integrated power system,
we've got partners and innovation.
We are able to do the one,
not one solution fits all,
but the solutions that fit
our unique customers needs.
Exactly.
Sustainability has been a
really hot topic lately,
and I know that that probably plays
a role in how hospitals are powered.
How is Cummins approaching the balance
of reliability and environmental
responsibility?
Reliability and sustainability seem
like direct trade-offs at times,
but there's actually a lot more nuance
to those two requirements and the
topic of sustainability on a higher
level, not just backup power,
but thinking about everything
that sustainability entails
is a major one in the
healthcare facility space,
the health sector in the
US accounts for 8% of
domestic greenhouse gas emissions.
And so that's a pretty significant chunk
when you think about all the industries
across the US and there's strong
awareness within the industry of that
and strong movement to decarbonize and
become more sustainable across the board.
While the vast majority of
that 8% is due to supply chain
related emissions or indirect emissions,
there is still a lot of importance
in the backup power system.
And you think about how that's probably
one the things that's easiest for
hospitals to control because those assets
are within their ownership where a lot
of their maybe supply chain is a
little more complex to manage. And
so there is this sort
of balance and journey
towards sustainability that's
happening and hospitals are really
asking for more sustainable power
solutions over time. But at the same time,
they can't sacrifice reliability
for sustainability by code.
Hospitals are required to have onsite
power that kicks in within those 10
seconds like we talked about, but
also that lasts for multiple days.
But new code changes have started to
allow for us to think about other power
solutions and renewables to play
a role. It is a slow journey,
but it is happening and Cummins
is approaching that balance,
I'd say by working on both sides at the
same time to make traditional solutions
more sustainable and future
solutions more and more reliable.
And so on the traditional side, we are
making our diesel generators cleaner,
more efficient, more compact than ever.
And so not only does that
reduce the emissions of the
generator sets themselves,
but if you think about those
supply chain emissions,
you're carrying this heavy
generator set across the
country.
When he sets heavy, he means tons,
like tons, not pounds, not a couple.
Oh, it's very lightweight, it fits
on its semi, not all the time.
You should see one of these in person.
It is a lot, right?
So you think of the impact that a
lighter gen set can have on your
emissions and maybe being able
to fit more into that transport,
that transportation vehicle. So
that is something to consider,
especially when hospitals look at how
they're measured on sustainability.
But then of course, because
we own our engines as well,
Cummins being a vertically
integrated company in that way,
it allows us to control that engine
piece as well so we can get some of the
cleanest engines out there,
put them in our generators,
and then engineer it in a way that it
really drives sustainability today.
So that's kind of what we're doing
today. And then as I mentioned before,
in the future,
we're investing in new technologies that
will help bring us into kind of a more
holistic power environment.
So we just released a battery
energy storage system,
and that's getting a lot of excitement.
It's a different kind of backup power
that has zero emissions. And
because it's done by Cummins,
that trust and reliability
behind our name is there maybe in
newer emerging technology.
And so it actually supports the adoption
of customers who may be a little bit
skeptical,
but trust in that Cummins name and helps
us move toward that sustainable future.
So I think in summary, the way we see it,
hospitals shouldn't have to choose
between reliability and sustainability.
It's really something that they can have
both of work with what they can today
while moving gradually toward the future.
I love that fortifying frontier
technologies at its finest.
I really like that you brought the engines
into it because a lot of times we do
engine focused episodes or even gen
set focused or microgrid focused,
but what you've done is you've
connected the dots to say, yes,
the engines that we were talking about
can also be inside of the generator sets
that we're discussing. So thanks for
connecting that for our audience as well.
But let's continue looking ahead,
what's the next frontier for
backup power in healthcare?
I think the next frontier is really
about moving beyond generators,
being a safety net and toward
hybrid and microgrid style power
systems where various energy
assets are used together and
the generators are part of
that overall energy strategy.
So a microgrid is increasingly
common buzzword in the
industry, but it's still something
that's a little hard to define sometimes.
But at a high level, it's multiple assets,
multiple power generating assets working
together to generate power in a more
flexible way. And I think
tangibly talking about this,
you can think about a diesel generator
working there in the background,
and that's kind of a
single source of power.
And then you have a
microgrid on the other hand,
which is things like a diesel generator,
a solar panel, maybe a battery,
things like fuel cells if they're
larger microgrids like wind power.
And all of these are interconnected and
able to work together to generate power
when it's needed. And if you
have things like energy storage,
then maybe not all of them
are working at the same time.
Maybe one is kind
charging up that battery,
or if there is really a large power need,
they do all kind of support each other.
So there many different
versions of microgrids,
but overall it's this interconnectedness
of different energy assets.
So for decades, as I was saying earlier,
diesel generator sets have
been the backbone. They're
trusted, they're reliable,
they meet code requirements,
and they'll continue to play a
critical role into the future.
We don't see them
necessarily going anywhere,
but we're starting to see hospitals
layer in other technologies alongside
diesel. Things like battery energy
storage, as we talked about solar,
natural gas generators and more.
And that microgrid approach
unlocks a few things for hospitals.
It makes hospitals more
sustainable. Of course,
if you have renewables in the mix,
then you can kind of rely on those maybe
first before the generator comes on. Or
once the generator
brings power back online,
you can switch over to those renewables.
It makes them more resilient.
They have multiple points of failure
rather than kind of one or two that could
kind of impact the quality of the power.
And then it also allows them to more
productively use their assets and more
actively use them.
So rather than just having them sit
around and wait for a power outage,
these assets can be put to work and
help generate revenue. In some cases,
their uses like peak shaving or
demand response where they can
take themselves off the grid to
either save costs on those high
rate hours or the utility will
actually pay them to come off the grid
to help the grid be less stressed.
And so there are all these different
uses for these multi-asset systems and
because it is, again,
hospitals are risk averse. They want
to make sure that things are proven and
reliable first.
But we're starting to see microgrids
become integrated into hospitals.
And I think that's just a trend that
will continue as things are proven out,
as costs come down, we'll continue
to see that. So they're complex.
There's a lot of flexibility though
that microgrids can give healthcare
facilities,
and I think we're not looking
at one asset replacing another
as much as we are looking at how more
assets can work together in a smarter way.
And again, Cummins,
we're helping them bridge that gap
between where they are today and in the
future.
A lot of exciting things to look forward
to in the healthcare and power systems
space. I really appreciate you
taking the time today, Nick,
to join us and just give us
the tea on everything going on.
Of course. Thanks so much for
having me, Kim. This has been great.
Alright, so what's the takeaway from this
episode when it comes to saving lives,
innovation and power technology are
the unsung heroes helping healthcare
professionals. Nick reminded
us that advances in technology,
particularly in power systems, can be
the difference between life and death.
Those 10 seconds to restore power,
it's the result of years of innovation,
planning, testing,
all of that to ensure that the technology
we rely on works when it's needed the
most. In a world that's constantly
evolving, the push for better, faster,
more reliable technology doesn't just
improve businesses, it saves lives.
Power Onward.
Thank you for listening to Power Onward.
Your support means the world to us.
If you enjoyed this episode,
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If you want to dig deeper
on what we covered today,
check out the show notes for
additional links or go to
cummins.com/podcast. Until next time,
Power Onward.
We are from Cummins,
the company that's been innovating
toward the future for more than a hundred
years. We're no strangers to rapid change,
global shifts and economic uncertainty.
We want to be your constant during
the energy transition whenever,
wherever, forever, Power Onward.