Paralleling and Controls Integration
PLC upgrades, control retrofits and paralleling. We tie generators into the systems that run your facility.
System integration is how generators talk to each other and to the building. Buffalo Power Solutions handles paralleling, PLC and SCADA integration, building management connections and control retrofits for commercial, industrial and data center sites. Field work comes from our Texas branches, covering Texas and Louisiana, plus our regional coverage; data center integration runs nationwide as project work.
Where Generators Meet the Rest of the Site
A generator that starts on time can still fail the building if the controls around it are wrong: two units that will not share load, a load-shed sequence that drops the wrong feeders, or a building system that sees the plant only as running or stopped.
Our integration work lives in that layer between the engine and the facility. Testing and repair of transfer switches and switchgear themselves is covered on our ATS and switchgear page; this page is about the logic, wiring and communication that make the pieces work as one system.
Integration Services
Generator Paralleling
Synchronizing, load sharing and load add and shed sequences for multi-unit plants.
PLC Upgrades
Replacing obsolete programmable controllers and rewriting the logic they run.
SCADA and Remote Visibility
Generator status, alarms and trends brought into your supervisory system.
Building Management Integration
Status points and alarms passed to the BMS, so facilities staff see more than run and stop.
Control Retrofits
New generator controllers fitted to existing engines and switchgear that are still sound.
Sequence Testing
Every transfer, paralleling and load-shed sequence proven under load before handover.
Signs Your Controls Need Attention
How an Integration Project Runs
Survey: we document the existing equipment, wiring and the sequence of operations as it actually runs today.
Design: we write the new sequence and the point list with your engineer and facilities team.
Cutover plan: the work is staged so the site keeps backup power, with rental generators where a gap cannot be avoided.
Programming and wiring: controllers are programmed and wired to the approved design.
Proof under load: transfer, paralleling, load shed and retransfer are tested before we hand over updated drawings, programs and training.
System Integration: Common Questions
What is generator paralleling?
Paralleling runs two or more generators together on a common bus. The controls match voltage, frequency and phase before closing each breaker, then share the load between the units. Paralleling lets a plant grow in steps, keeps the site powered when one unit is down for service, and lets lightly loaded sets shut down to save fuel and wear.
Can a new generator parallel with the ones we already have?
Often, yes, but it depends on the existing controls, governors and voltage regulators and on whether the switchgear was built for another unit. We survey the plant first and tell you what has to change for the units to share load properly, which may range from settings and wiring to new controllers on the older sets.
How do generators connect to a building management system?
Modern generator controllers can publish status, alarms and measurements over standard communication protocols, which the BMS reads as points. Older units may need a gateway or added sensing. We agree the point list with your facilities team so the building system shows what operators need, such as fuel level, alarms and readiness, rather than every value the controller holds.
Will the site lose backup power during a controls retrofit?
It should not be left unprotected. We stage the work so that only part of the plant is out of service at a time, and where that is not possible we bring in rental generation for the gap. The cutover plan is written down and agreed with you before anything is disconnected.
How is this different from your ATS and switchgear service?
ATS and switchgear service covers the equipment itself: inspection, testing, maintenance and repair of transfer switches and switchgear. System integration covers how that equipment and the generators are controlled together, including the paralleling logic, PLC programs, load-shed sequences and connections to SCADA or the building system. Many projects need both.
Controls Holding Your Plant Back?
Tell us what equipment you have and what it should do, and we will scope the integration.