Elizabeth from Metuchen, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since July of 2019. The generator was commissioned that November: 16 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp whole-house transfer switch, sized against a 15 kW calculation for the 3,500 square foot house. Two sump pumps are the load that matters here – a house with one has a wet basement problem, a house with two has already learned that one is not enough, and both will be running in the storm that takes the power out. An annual maintenance plan and monitoring we manage both sit behind the machine.
Project Facts
- Location
- Metuchen, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- July 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7178
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 3,500 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Metuchen homeowners
Will a 22 kW generator run an entire Metuchen house?
For many homes, yes, but that does not mean every load can run at the same moment. Houses with two central air conditioners, electric heat, EV charging, pool equipment or electric cooking may need load management or a larger machine. The answer comes from a load calculation rather than from the phrase whole house.
Can a generator be installed on a deck or a roof?
Platform, deck and supporting-structure installations are recognized, but they call for additional review: structural capacity, noncombustible surface requirements, fire clearance, exhaust, airflow, vibration, service access and local requirements all have to be addressed. It is a site-specific installation rather than a routine location.
Is an emergency shutdown required?
The 2023 National Electrical Code contains requirements addressing emergency shutdown of generator prime movers. Whether and how they apply is determined from the generator's rating, its location, the model and the installation, and the factory equipment is evaluated against them rather than presumed to comply.