Scott from Brick, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since September of 2020. The generator was commissioned in June of 2021: a 16 kW Generac Guardian on natural gas, outdoors beside the meter, with a 150-amp service-entrance switch and two smart management modules. The load calculation asked for 12 kW, and what has to keep running says more than the number does – two refrigerators, a separate freezer, a sump pump, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher. The sump and the cold storage are the pair that matter most: one is needed exactly when a storm takes the power out, and the other quietly turns a long outage into a bill for everything in the freezer. An annual maintenance visit keeps the machine serviced.
Project Facts
- Location
- Brick, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- September 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7176
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Electrical service
- 150 amp
- Transfer switch
- 150 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Brick homeowners
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.
How can a whole house be carried on a smaller electrical service?
Through load management. One or more large loads are controlled so they do not start at the same moment, or shut down briefly if generator demand climbs too high. That is what allows whole-house coverage where the raw sum of every connected load would otherwise exceed the machine.
Will a larger gas meter be needed?
Possibly. A generator can significantly increase a home's maximum gas demand. If the existing meter or service cannot hold the required pressure while supplying the generator and the other appliances together, the gas utility may require an upgrade.