John from Middletown, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2020. The generator was commissioned that December: 16 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp service-entrance switch with a 100-amp smart management module, sized against a 13 kW calculation for the 2,164 square foot house. The management module here is rated at 100 amps rather than the usual 50, which is the arrangement used when the load being held back is a large one – typically central air conditioning, the single biggest thing a house asks a generator to start. Annual maintenance, an extended parts-and-labor warranty and monitoring we manage all sit behind the machine.
Project Facts
- Location
- Middletown, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- August 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7178
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,164 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Since I am working at home it was needed. Glen and Chris were awesome to deal with as they walked us through the process step by step and every time they said someone would be here that person was. It was seamless and very easy to work with them and I would Highly recommend them if you are looking for a generator install.
Green Sun Energy Services replied
Thank you, John. Working from home changes the calculation entirely: an outage stops being an inconvenience and starts taking the day with it. The 16 kW whole-house backup at your home in Middletown was sized for exactly that. Being where we said we would be, when we said it, is the least a project like this should offer.
Standby generator questions from Middletown homeowners
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.
Can a generator be raised on a platform?
Yes. Manufacturer guidance specifically covers installations on platforms and other supporting structures, and directs them to the applicable fire-safety standard, including a noncombustible surface extending beyond the generator for the configuration addressed. Flood and structural requirements have to be satisfied as well.
Can a generator sit behind a solid privacy fence?
Potentially, if the fence stays outside every airflow, exhaust and servicing clearance and does not create a partially enclosed space where heat or exhaust can accumulate. Municipal fence and screening rules may apply as well.