for data center owners, developers & mep teams
Tank sizing, fuel type, polishing intervals, emissions permitting — by commissioning, these are expensive to unwind. Bring a fuel-resilience partner into the design and retrofit conversation early, and most of them never become problems.
The Framing
Most operators meet ESI after fuel is already a problem — a failed load bank test, a contaminated tank, a permit that didn’t account for runtime. By then, the fix is a retrofit of a retrofit. The decisions that drive backup-power reliability are made months earlier, in design reviews and construction planning, when changing course is still cheap. That’s the window where a fuel partner is worth the most and used the least.
“Decisions hardest to fix later”
Four decisions that lock in before a facility goes live — and cost the most to unwind after:
- Tank sizing & fuel storage
Undersized storage caps your true runtime; oversized storage invites fuel degradation. Both are hard to change once concrete is poured. - Fuel type & future-proofing
Choosing between conventional diesel and renewable diesel (HVO) at design time keeps future emissions and reporting options open — instead of forcing a costly switch later. - Polishing & monitoring intervals
Stored fuel degrades on a schedule. Building polishing and continuous monitoring into the plan keeps fuel ready without emergency service calls. - Emissions permitting & compliance
Runtime assumptions, permit thresholds, and reporting obligations are far simpler to get right before commissioning than to correct under scrutiny.
What “getting in early” looks like with ESI
- We read the plans, not just the spec sheet. ESI reviews backup-power and fuel design alongside your MEP and construction teams — before decisions harden.
- One partner across the whole fuel chain. Fuel, delivery, equipment, testing, polishing, tank monitoring, emissions controls, and compliance reporting under one roof, so nothing falls between vendors.
- Brand-agnostic. ESI works across all diesel generator makes and models — the recommendation fits your facility, not a product line.
FROM OUR CHIEF ENGINEER
What operators overlook when they retrofit a facility
The blind spots that turn into emergencies later — and the questions worth asking during design and retrofit. A field perspective from ESI’s Chief Engineer.
Planning a build or retrofit?
The best time to talk is before commissioning.
(703) 263-7600 ext. 840
ESI Total Fuel Management
When Confidence Counts.