Emergency Generator Selection, Installation Require Careful Planning

This is what the emergency standby generators look like when they’re installed in most business settings. They’re only two or three times the size of your air conditioning unit, and they make little noise when running. This Generac unit runs on natural gas, starts automatically when the power fails, automatically exercises itself and runs its own diagnostics. (Photo Credit: Generac)

This is a typical generator for a gas station or convenience store from Kohler Power Systems. You can run units such as this on natural gas or propane. (Photo Credit: Kohler)

This is a typical midsize commercial standby generator from General Electric, built under license by Briggs & Stratton. This 30kW generator set is able to produce single-phase or three-phase power. It has a General Motors engine that runs at only 1,800rpm to reduce noise, energy consumption and provide longer life. (Photo Credit: Briggs & Stratton/GE)

This is a typical Generac mobile generator set that normally runs on diesel fuel. Some companies arrange for these to be available on request, at which point they’re towed to their location and hooked up via a preinstalled connection point. In other cases, these can be brought to a business and attached to the electrical service by an electrician. This is an excellent option for businesses that need to be online quickly and will need to be on emergency power for a while. (Photo Credit: Generac)

Emergency generators come in a wide variety of sizes. This Generac industrial generator would power a large supermarket or warehouse store, and rather than being installed next to the building it is placed in the parking lot, as you see here. (Photo Credit: Generac)

Here’s a look at what’s inside a commercial standby generator. This is a 48kW Kohler Power Systems generator set that includes an electronic management system, a natural-gas-powered engine, a 48kW alternator and a liquid cooling system. (Photo Credit: Kohler)

This 40kW Kohler generator is a typical size for a larger convenience store and gas station. Note that this unit has the exhaust on the top, so it needs to be placed where it’s not near air inlets or windows that open. (Photo Credit: Kohler)

Mobile generators can be used for applications that aren’t emergencies. This is a Generac unit that’s being used to power a work site. (Photo Credit: Generac)