David from Springfield, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2020. The generator was commissioned in January of 2021: 16 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp service-entrance switch with two smart management modules, sized against a 14 kW calculation for the 3,000 square foot house. The position was agreed and priced at the survey rather than chosen on the day – behind the air conditioning units on the north-west side of the garden, where the machine is out of the way and the runs are as short as the site allows. Where a generator sits determines how much gas pipe and electrical conduit the job needs, which is why the quotation says so explicitly rather than leaving it to be worked out later. Annual maintenance, an extended parts-and-labor warranty and monitoring we manage all sit behind it.
Project Facts
- Location
- Springfield, 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
- 3,000 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Springfield homeowners
Why can't a generator be wired straight into the panel?
Because a standby generator needs approved transfer or interconnection equipment so that it cannot unintentionally energise the utility supply. The transfer switch is one of the most important electrical-safety components in the whole installation, not an accessory to it.
Why do outages last longer on some Springfield streets than others?
Mature tree cover over overhead lines is the usual reason. Limbs coming down in wind, snow or ice take the lines with them, so heavily treed streets tend to see both more frequent outages and longer restoration times than open ones. It is one of the honest arguments for standby power rather than a portable generator.
Can a standby generator run central air conditioning?
Yes, when it is sized for it. The design has to account for both the running demand and the starting surge of the air-conditioning equipment. Load-management equipment can be used where necessary so that demand does not all arrive at once.