Andy from Atlantic Highlands, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since February of 2020. The 20 kW Generac at the property dates from 2014 and runs on natural gas behind a 90-amp transfer switch, on a plan covering annual maintenance and remote monitoring that Green Sun manages directly. It has been serviced every year from 2020 through 2025, with a new battery fitted in July of 2020. On a headland above the bay, the weather that takes the power out is the same weather that makes the roads hard, and a machine that reports its own condition is worth having.
Project Facts
- Location
- Atlantic Highlands, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- February 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 6250
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Electrical service
- 400 amp
- Transfer switch
- 90 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Atlantic Highlands homeowners
Why do outages last longer on some Atlantic Highlands streets than others?
Mature tree cover over overhead lines is the usual reason. Limbs coming down in wind, snow or ice take the lines with them, so heavily treed streets tend to see both more frequent outages and longer restoration times than open ones. It is one of the honest arguments for standby power rather than a portable generator.
What happens when the utility power comes back?
The system detects the return of acceptable utility power and transfers the house back automatically. The generator then runs through a programmed cool-down before shutting off and returning to standby. Nobody has to switch anything back by hand.
Why can't a generator be wired straight into the panel?
Because a standby generator needs approved transfer or interconnection equipment so that it cannot unintentionally energise the utility supply. The transfer switch is one of the most important electrical-safety components in the whole installation, not an accessory to it.