Daniel from Kenilworth, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since July of 2019. The generator was commissioned that October: 16 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp whole-house transfer switch, sized against a 16 kW calculation for 4,000 square feet. A sump pump, two refrigerators, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher make up the load, and the machine matches the requirement exactly rather than carrying a margin above it. Sizing to the number is the decision that leans hardest on the survey being right, and seven years of the machine carrying the house is the evidence that it was. An annual maintenance plan and monitoring we manage both sit behind it.
Project Facts
- Location
- Kenilworth, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- July 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 70371
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 4,000 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Glen and his team were prompt and professional during both installation and annual maintenance. We lost power during the last hurricane and the generator worked perfectly. Pricing was very good and Glen was even able to get me an extended warranty (promo from Generac). I would recommend Green Sun.
Green Sun Energy Services replied
Thank you, Daniel. A hurricane is the only real test, and the 16 kW whole-house backup at your home in Kenilworth passed it. Prompt on installation day and prompt again at annual maintenance is the pairing that matters, because a generator only stays reliable if somebody keeps looking at it. Glen and the crews appreciate the note.
Standby generator questions from Kenilworth homeowners
What size standby generator does a Kenilworth home need?
The correct size is decided by the electrical loads the generator is expected to run, not by the square footage of the house. Central air, heat pumps, electric heat, well and sump pumps, refrigerators and freezers, electric ranges and dryers, pool equipment and EV chargers all count. Where a load is connected automatically, the generator either has the capacity for it or an approved load-management system controls it.
What is a service-entrance-rated transfer switch?
One that is listed for use as service equipment when installed in the appropriate configuration. These are commonly used for whole-house systems, where the transfer switch becomes part of the home's service arrangement rather than sitting downstream of it.
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.