Customer Profile: Syracuse City School District educates more than 19,000 students each day, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Customer Challenge: The Shea Network Operation Center is the district’s central hub for IT and communications infrastructure. The district required a resilient, modern backup power solution to ensure continuous uptime and connectivity for all its school facilities.
Key project challenges included:
- Coordinating across multiple stakeholders including electrical contractors, engineers, and technology partners with varying timelines and requirements
- Long lead times on critical equipment due to post COVID supply chain constraints
- Integration of multiple technologies from different OEMs (Generac, Siemens, Schneider)
- Limited internal bandwidth to manage and align project phases, testing, and startup
Stark Tech Solution: Stark Tech served as the integrator, project manager, and subject matter expert for the Syracuse City School District’s backup power project. Our team worked in close collaboration with Siemens, Generac, C&S Engineering, and electrical contractors to design and implement a fully customized solution that addressed the district’s specific operational needs and performance requirements.
As part of the solution, Stark Tech provided a custom Siemens SB3 switchboard, featuring an integrated PLC with control logic specifically designed to handle the paralleling of multiple generators. We also provided three Generac MG300 natural gas generators (300kW each). This application called for two of the three generators to support the full system load, while the third serves as a spare for N+1 redundancy. During a power outage, the switchboard will allow the load to seamlessly transfer from utility to UPS to Generators and then back to utility. This system ensures that the NOC’s critical power needs will always be met, even during unexpected circumstances.
Along with designing the system and providing the equipment, Stark Tech also created a step-by-step plan that explains how everything should work, both during normal use and in an emergency. This plan was reviewed and approved by the engineers to make sure it met all the project requirements.
Our team at Stark Tech managed the entire project timeline, making sure everything stayed on track, from equipment startup/testing to simulated power outages and training the customer. To help the district’s team feel confident using the new system, we also led walkthroughs and hands-on training with the IT and operations staff.
Project Results: Despite long equipment lead times and project complexity, Stark Tech successfully delivered the full system, which went online in July 2025. Though the Shea Network Operation Center won’t be fully operational until Fall 2025, the infrastructure is now in place and functional.
Key Components:
(3) Generac MG300 Natural Gas Generators (300kW each)
- Two operational, one standby for redundancy
- Control logic will alternate set of 2 running generators to equalize wear
Siemens SB3 Custom Switchboard
- Integrated control system and PLC logic
- Central control hub for generator operation and utility switchover
Control System Engineering
- Fully tailored control logic designed in collaboration with engineering team
- Seamless startup, test, and transition protocols
