Delivering Around-the-Clock Power

gas generator

To ensure the power is always on, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine installed a Cat G3412 gas generator to back up the utility feed at the Auburn, AL, campus.

On a branch campus of Virginia Tech in Auburn, AL, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) opened its doors with a vision to provide healthcare for nearby underserved regions while promoting biomedical research. In a state-of-the-art building on the southern end of the Auburn campus, more than 325 VCOM first-and second-year students are taught the fundamentals of osteopathic medicine. VCOM’s curriculum is based on a digital platform so continuous power is critical.

To ensure uninterrupted power, VCOM installed a Cat G3412 gas generator to back up the utility feed at their Auburn campus when the building first opened. Based on a recommendation from Cat dealer Thompson Tractor, VCOM transfers the electrical load to the facility once a month.

“Every time, the generator has kicked right in and done what it’s supposed to do,” says Randy Cerovsky, facilities director for VCOM-Auburn. “We have never noticed any delay in the amount of time it takes for the generator to start up and transfer the power over. Everything just runs smoothly; we’ve never had any issues.”

Technicians from Thompson Power Systems perform regular maintenance on the generator set. “Thompson Power Systems has been great to work with,” Cerovsky says. “They do all of the service, and they explain everything.”

Cerovsky receives email alerts when the generator runs or if issues arise. “One of the features I like is the Cat Connect interface that enables us to receive SMTP alerts so if anything’s wrong, we get notified and call to receive service immediately.”

www.cat.com/en_US

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management September 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • Stanford Online Reveals New Immersive Learning Studio

    Stanford Online recently marked its 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new immersive learning studio, according to a university news release. The studio takes advantage of AI-powered and immersive learning technologies to continue delivering personalized and faculty-led education.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.