Counting On You

Reliable Generators Provide Vital Power for Healthcare Facilities

Healthcare
Healthcare

Mission Critical Backup Power for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities

Request a Healthcare Power Consultation
Request a Healthcare Power Consultation

When Power Fails, Patient Care Is at Risk

Healthcare facilities depend on continuous power to support life-saving equipment, clinical environments, and critical building systems. Even brief outages can disrupt patient care, compromise safety, and impact facility operations.

That’s why hospitals and healthcare organizations rely on standby power systems engineered for reliability, fast response, and long-term performance – backed by service support they can depend on.

Healthcare Power Challenges We Address:

 

Critical Load Continuity Complex Facility Requirements Operational Confidence
  • Life‑support systems, imaging, data, and environmental controls
  • Fast response to restore power during utility outages
  • Multiple buildings, phased expansions, and varying load profiles
  • Integration with existing electrical infrastructure
  • Routine testing, maintenance, and long‑term reliability
  • Support teams that understand healthcare environments

See What Healthcare Facilities We Power:

  • Hospitals
  • Ambulatory Surgical Centers
  • Blood Banks
  • Nursing Homes
  • Surgical Clinics
  • Urgent Care Centers
  • Rehabilitation Centers
  • Clinics and Medical Offices

Healthcare
Healthcare

How does a Cat® CHP system benefit hospitals? 

Cat Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems provide hospitals with reliable onsite power while efficiently supplying heating and cooling. This improves energy resilience for mission‑critical care, reduces operating costs, and lowers emissions – helping healthcare facilities support patient care.

Explore Combined Heat and Power for Healthcare

FAQs

A: Yes. Hospitals are widely required to have emergency and standby power systems to help maintain patient safety during power outages. Hospital backup generator solutions by Cat are commonly specified to support critical healthcare functions such as life‑safety systems, medical equipment, lighting, and HVAC when utility power is unavailable. Caterpillar designs generator systems for hospitals to align with widely adopted standards used in healthcare facility power planning.

A: Hospital generators can operate for extended periods of time during an outage, depending on factors such as fuel storage capacity, load demand, and maintenance planning. Hospital generator systems are designed by Cat to support prolonged outages when paired with proper fuel management strategies. Many healthcare facilities also integrate multiple Cat generator sets or support systems to maintain continuous operation during long‑duration power events.

Learn more from Cat: Emergency and standby power in hospitals

A: Hospital generator size varies based on facility size, critical load requirements, and redundancy planning. Generators used in healthcare range from smaller standby units supporting essential loads to large multi‑megawatt generator systems that power entire hospital campuses. Generator sizing is typically based on life‑safety systems, patient care areas, medical equipment, and future expansion needs.  

A: A hospital generator works as part of an integrated emergency power system. When utility power is lost, the system detects the outage and automatically starts the generator. Cat standby generators then supply power to critical circuits through transfer switches and switchgear, helping maintain operation of life‑safety systems and essential medical services. 

A: Yes. Hospitals rely on Cat backup generator systems to help protect patient safety and maintain essential services during power outages. Caterpillar's healthcare power solutions are designed to support emergency and standby power requirements commonly referenced by codes such as NFPA 110 and the National Electrical Code (NEC), which are widely used in hospital generator system design.

Regulation and Compliance

NFPA 110 requires monthly testing of gensets under load conditions. Gensets should run for at least 30 minutes at a minimum of 30% of their nameplate rating. If they do not achieve this load, a load bank test is necessary. Your local Cat® dealer can assist with these tests.

Talk to Your Cat® Dealer About NFPA 110 Testing

Testimonials

Delivering Around-the-clock Power for Biomedical Research at VCOM

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.

Powering Healthcare
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)

Cat gensets provide reliable emergency power

Whether the Cat fleet is providing emergency power to our customers, or grid power, or thermal energy for our heating system, high reliability is the goal for MDE and our suppliers.

Markham District Energy
Markham District Energy, City of Markham, Ontario, Canada
Markham District Energy, City of Markham, Ontario, Canada

OSF St. Francis Medical Center Relies on Cat Backup Generators for 24/7 Patient Care

When a blown transformer resulted in an emergency power loss at OSF St. Francis Medical Center, three Cat 32 generator sets powered the 10-building campus until the utility feed was restored, more than a month later. If the center experiences an outage, the Cat generators start up within 10 seconds to provide campus-wide power.

Read More
OSF St. Francis Medical Center
OSF St. Francis Medical Center

Cat Diesel Generators Keep Hospital Running During Hurricane Ida

Louisiana Cat helped ensure Children’s Hospital New Orleans had sufficient backup power with the addition of four new Cat C32 generator sets and upgrades to two of the hospital’s existing four 3508 generator sets. To avoid any disruption to surgeries and services, the hospital switched over to its backup diesel generator sets prior to Hurricane Ida and maintained uninterrupted power before and after the storm.

Read More
Children’s Hospital New Orleans
Children’s Hospital New Orleans

St. Luke’s Hospital Maintains Critical Power with Cat Backup Generators

When Cedar Rapids’ grid power was knocked out during a powerful derecho (wind storm) in August 2020, St. Luke’s operated for two days solely on backup power from its 4.5 MW standby power plant consisting of three Cat 3512 diesel generator sets.

Read about St. Luke's backup generators
St. Luke's Hospital
St. Luke's Hospital

More Customer Stories

Products used in Our Customer Stories

  • Standby Rating
    2500/2250/2000 ekW
    2500/2250/2000 ekW
    Prime Power Rating
    2250/2045/1825 ekW
    2250/2045/1825 ekW
    Emissions/Fuel Strategy
    U.S. EPA Cert., Tier 2
    U.S. EPA Cert., Tier 2

    3516C (60 Hz)

    Producing reliable power from 1825 to 2500 ekW at 60 Hz, our 3516C diesel generator sets are made to meet your mission critical, standby and prime applications. We've designed each to ISO 8528-5 transient response requirements and to accept 100% rated load in one step. The 3516C generator sets are U.S. EPA Certified for Stationary Emergency Use Only (Tier 2 Nonroad Equivalent Emission Standards), Low Fuel Consumption certified.

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  • Continuous Rating
    423 ekW @0.8pf
    423 ekW @0.8pf
    Fuel Type
    Natural Gas, Biogas, Field Gas, Propane
    Natural Gas, Biogas, Field Gas, Propane
    Maximum Electrical Efficiency
    37.30%
    37.30%

    G3412

    Using natural gas for combined heat and power (CHP) systems and emergency power for facilities, to renewable biogas energy to support the local grid, or electricity generated from coal mine gases, Caterpillar has a wide range of reliable gas power solutions.

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  • Standby Rating
    1250/1100 ekW
    1250/1100 ekW
    Prime Power Rating
    1135/1000 ekW
    1135/1000 ekW
    Emissions/Fuel Strategy
    Low Fuel Consumption
    Low Fuel Consumption

    3512 (60 Hz)

    Producing reliable power from 890 to 1250 ekW at 60 Hz, our 3512 diesel generator sets are made to meet your mission critical, continuous, standby and prime applications. We've designed each to ISO 8528-5 transient response requirements and to accept 100% rated load in one step. Generator sets offer a low fuel consumption system.

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  • Maximum Rating
    1250 ekW
    1250 ekW
    Minimum Rating
    830 ekW
    830 ekW
    Emissions/Fuel Strategy
    Low Fuel, Tier 2 Nonroad Stds
    Low Fuel, Tier 2 Nonroad Stds

    C32B (60 Hz)

    Producing reliable power from 830 to 1250 ekW at 60 Hz, our C32B diesel generator sets are made to meet your mission critical, continuous, standby and prime applications. We've designed each to ISO 8528-5 transient response requirements and to accept 100% block load. Generator sets range from low fuel consumption systems to EPA Stationary Emergency (Tier 2) certification.

    Learn More
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Electric Power products

Any size or shape. In any regulatory environment. When you need power, Caterpillar is equal to the challenge. Our generators are used in a variety of applications.

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Electric Power products
Electric Power products

Mobile Generator Financing

Explore financing options for your mobile genset. Cat Financial can help you finance your equipment.

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Mobile Generator Financing
Mobile Generator Financing