Michael from Red Bank, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since October of 2020. The generator was commissioned in June of 2021: 20 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp whole-house transfer switch, sized against a 14 kW calculation for the 2,600 square foot house. Two sump pumps are the load that matters here. A house with one pump has a wet basement problem; a house with two has already been told by experience that one is not enough, and both will want to run in the same storm that takes the power out. Annual maintenance, an extended parts-and-labor warranty and monitoring we manage all sit behind the generator.
Project Facts
- Location
- Red Bank, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- October 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7039-1
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,600 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Red Bank homeowners
What is Base Flood Elevation and why does it matter here?
Base Flood Elevation is the elevation associated with the base flood -- generally the flood with a one percent chance of being reached or exceeded in any year. For a generator it is often the starting point for working out how high the mechanical and electrical equipment has to be protected or raised.
Will a 20 kW generator run an entire Red Bank 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.
What is a standby generator?
A permanently installed automatic backup-power system that supplies electricity to the house when utility power is unavailable. Unlike a portable, it is permanently connected to the home's electrical system through transfer equipment and normally runs on natural gas or liquid propane. When the power fails it starts on its own, carries the connected loads, and hands the house back to the utility once service returns.