James from Middletown, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since November of 2015. The 16 kW standby generator at the house was installed by another company, and James brought its servicing to us — the one-year check first, then the two-year service completed in October of 2016 with 11.8 hours on the meter. Barely twelve hours of running in two years is what a healthy standby generator looks like: it exercises itself weekly, carries the house when the grid drops, and otherwise sits still. The switch here is a managed whole-house type, so when it does start there is nothing left running on utility power.
Project Facts
- Location
- Middletown, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- November 2015
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # G0058941
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Transfer switch
- 65 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Middletown homeowners
Can the platform height be read off the FEMA flood map?
Not necessarily. The map matters, but it may not carry every elevation the platform design needs. An Elevation Certificate, a surveyed ground elevation, the Base Flood Elevation, the Design Flood Elevation, the local freeboard and the municipal flood ordinance can all bear on it, so the height is calculated for the specific property.
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.
Does a generator produce less on natural gas than on propane?
Some models do have a lower rated maximum output on natural gas than on propane -- a current 22 kW machine is rated 22 kW on LP and 21 kW on natural gas. Other models carry their own ratings, so the model-specific specification sheet is what settles it rather than a general rule.