Hurricane Backup Generator for Lexus of New Orleans: 500 kW Standby Power After Hurricane Ida

SPVD-5000 · 500 kW VOLVO-POWERED STANDBY DIESEL GENERATOR

How Long Did Hurricane Ida Knock Out Power at Lexus of New Orleans?

Hurricane Ida left Lexus of New Orleans without power for two weeks. Operations, vehicle inventory, and building systems were all at risk, and the dealership needed power back right away, plus a permanent backup system so it would not go dark again.

What Gillette and Total Energy Solutions Installed

Gillette dealer Total Energy Solutions restored power with a rental unit, then delivered a turnkey standby system built around a 500 kW Gillette SPVD-5000 Volvo-powered standby diesel generator, a 1600-amp ASCO automatic transfer switch, and a 72-hour fuel tank.

500 kW

STANDBY DIESEL OUTPUT

1600 A

ASCO AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH

72 HR

ON-SITE FUEL

“Total Energy Solutions [and Gillette Generators] not only provided immediate emergency response but also equipped us with a resilient power system. Their expertise and efficient handling of the situation were instrumental in protecting our assets and serving our customers without a hitch.”

PRICE LEBLANC, OWNER, LEXUS OF NEW ORLEANS

”

Lexus of New Orleans Hurricane Backup Generator: Project Overview

Lexus of New Orleans is a luxury auto dealership in New Orleans, Louisiana. When Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, 2021, the dealership lost power for two weeks. Gillette dealer Total Energy Solutions (TES) responded in two stages: a 500 kW rental generator to get the dealership operating again, and then, at the request of owner Price LeBlanc, a permanent turnkey standby power system built around a 500 kW Gillette SPVD-5000 standby diesel generator.

How Do You Install a Standby Generator Without Shutting Down?

A permanent generator meant rewiring the dealership’s main electrical feed, work that would normally shut the building down. After losing two weeks to the storm, the dealership could not afford more downtime.

Three things made this project work.

01 Emergency Rental Power First

TES brought in a 500 kW rental generator to restore power quickly, so the dealership could keep serving customers while the permanent system was planned and installed.

02 A Permanent Standby System for the Whole Dealership

The permanent system backs up the entire dealership: a 500 kW Gillette SPVD-5000 Volvo-powered standby diesel generator, a 1600-amp ASCO automatic transfer switch, and a 72-hour fuel tank. The SPVD-5000 is UL 2200 listed, built in Indiana, and was 100% load tested before it shipped.

03 A One-Week Cutover With No Downtime

The cutover took about a week, including rewiring the main feed. The rental generator carried the dealership the whole time, so the lights stayed on and the doors stayed open.

The Result: No Downtime, and Powered Through Outages Since

Lexus of New Orleans kept serving customers through the entire installation, and it has stayed powered through outages since. The dealership now runs on a permanent 500 kW Gillette standby system with 72 hours of fuel on site.

Why It Matters for Generator Dealers

Total Energy Solutions owned this job from the emergency rental to the permanent install. Gillette’s part was a standby generator TES could stand behind: built to spec, load tested before it shipped, and backed by direct factory support. That is how Gillette works with its dealers. The dealer owns the customer, and the factory has their back.

Read Total Energy Solutions’ account of this project →

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