Greg from Atlantic Highlands, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2020. The generator was commissioned in March of 2021: 16 kW on natural gas, on a 150-amp service-entrance switch with a smart management module, sized against a 13 kW calculation for the 2,208 square foot house. Ocean Boulevard runs along the top of the bluff, the highest ground on the Atlantic coast south of Maine, and elevation cuts both ways – flooding is somebody else’s problem up here, but the wind is not, and wind is what brings the lines down. An electric oven, a refrigerator, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher make up the load. Annual maintenance, a ten-year extended parts-and-labor warranty and monitoring we manage all sit behind it.
Project Facts
- Location
- Atlantic Highlands, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- August 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7176
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,208 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 150 amp
- Transfer switch
- 150 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Atlantic Highlands homeowners
What happens if the manufacturer and Atlantic Highlands disagree?
The installation has to satisfy all applicable requirements. A manufacturer's listing cannot be ignored, and a manufacturer's minimum clearance does not cancel a municipal zoning requirement. Where requirements conflict or the interpretation is uncertain, the Authority Having Jurisdiction is consulted before the work goes in rather than after.
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.
What happens if we add a heat pump, a pool or an EV charger later?
Any major new electrical load should prompt a review of the generator's capacity. A machine sized correctly at installation may no longer be adequate once substantial loads are added. Load management can often accommodate the new equipment without replacing the generator.