Chris from Little Silver, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since September of 2020. The generator was commissioned the following May, rated 18 kW on natural gas where the load calculation asked for 16 kW. The house heats and cools on a heat pump, which makes backup power a year-round question rather than a winter one – without it the house loses its cooling in August and its heating in January. Two load-management modules hold the whole house inside a 150-amp service.
Project Facts
- Location
- Little Silver, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Installation
- Client since
- September 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7038-1
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Electrical service
- 150 amp
- Transfer switch
- 150 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Little Silver 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.