Randi from Florham Park, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since September of 2014, which makes this one of the oldest relationships on the site. The generator was commissioned that December: 20 kW in a steel enclosure on natural gas, on a 200-amp service-entrance switch with two priority management modules. The load calculation asked for 18 kW across 4,000 square feet, with three refrigerators, an electric oven, a washer and a gas dryer to carry. Twelve years is long enough for a standby generator to have been forgotten twice over, and the reason this one has not is the interval: an annual maintenance plan and a ten-year extended parts-and-labor warranty have sat behind it since the machine was new.
Project Facts
- Location
- Florham Park, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- September 2014
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 6729
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 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
Very happy I chose Green Sun Energy 7 years ago for my generator and continued annual service. They are a pleasure to deal with.
Green Sun Energy Services replied
Thank you, Randi. The 20 kW generator at your home in Florham Park went in back in 2014 and has been on annual service ever since, which is exactly the arrangement we would recommend to anyone buying one. A pleasure to deal with is a nice thing to be told after that many visits.
Standby generator questions from Florham Park homeowners
Can a generator be installed in a flood zone in Florham Park?
Yes, but the generator and its electrical equipment may need to be elevated or otherwise protected. The installation is evaluated against the property's FEMA flood zone, its Base Flood Elevation and Design Flood Elevation, the municipal flood ordinance, any applicable freeboard, and NJDEP requirements where they apply. It is a property-by-property assessment rather than a rule of thumb.
Can a standby generator be installed in the garage?
No. Residential air-cooled standby generators are designed for outdoor installation and must never be run inside a garage, basement, shed or any other enclosed occupied space. The engine produces carbon monoxide, which can cause serious injury or death. That is why outdoor location and separation from building openings are treated as critical rather than as preferences.
Will a 22 kW generator run an entire Florham Park 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.