Ed from Middletown, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2016. He signed in the middle of August and the generator was commissioned on the seventh of October, seven weeks, a 16 kW Generac in a steel enclosure on its own pad behind a 200-amp service-rated switch. The house is only 1,520 square feet but runs three refrigerators, which is what set the rating rather than the floor area. A PowerBase plan has covered it since. Middletown is in Monmouth County.
Project Facts
- Location
- Middletown, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- August 2016
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 6462
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 1,520 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
The whole process from meeting with Glen who explained the complete process was outstanding I had met with 2 other contractors before meeting with Glen who had more knowledge on the generator then both of them combined the installers were very professional,knowledgeable and friendly,would highly recommend the entire Green Sun team.
Green Sun Energy Services replied
Thank you, Ed. Knowing the equipment is the whole of it, because a generator sized by guesswork is either too small on the night or larger than the house ever needed. The 16 kW Generac at your home in Middletown carries three refrigerators among the rest. Glen will be pleased, and so will the crews.
Standby generator questions from Middletown homeowners
Can a generator be sized from the square footage of the house?
No. Two houses of identical size can have very different electrical requirements depending on heating fuel, how many air conditioners there are, whether there is a well pump, a pool, an EV charger, or electric cooking. A proper design examines the load rather than the floor area.
Does the generator need its own gas shutoff?
The fuel installation has to include the shutoff arrangements required by the adopted fuel-gas code and by the installation instructions. The valve must be positioned where it is accessible, both for servicing and for isolating the machine in an emergency.
Does the transfer switch need flood protection as well as the generator?
Yes. A flood review should cover much more than the generator enclosure. FEMA recommends that a residential standby system consider elevation or protection of the generator, the transfer switch, the normal and emergency panels, the feeders and the control wiring together.