Many facilities run several generators in parallel to ensure power reliability and guarantee sufficient emergency or backup power. Paralleling generators in this way improves reliability, increases load management flexibility, manages run time on engines, and provides maintenance flexibility reducing generator costs. Synchronizing engine generators to a common bus, operators can use either onboard paralleling (in which controls are integrated into the generator design and mounted on each generator) or traditional central paralleling (in which controls are located either in the paralleling switchgear or as a separate control switchboard located in a separate location, away from the engine generators). While each has its advantages, traditional central paralleling distributed energy controls provide superior backup redundancy, better reporting, and a higher level of control — all in a clean and quiet control room or switchgear room environment.