Every house depends heavily on electrical power, so what happens to homes and their owners when severe weather or a failure of the power grid causes a loss of electricity, potentially lasting days or weeks? If they have an automatic standby generator, the owners are well-equipped to weather power outages in relative—or complete—comfort.
Recent hurricane seasons reminded homeowners that the power supply is highly susceptible to weather events and that when it goes out, they are not only inconvenienced, their health and well-being also may be compromised. Previous generations would tough it out, but more people demand 24/7 comfort or want their homes to be more self-reliant.
"People don't want to go without power for very long," says Roddy Yates, marketing manager for Baldor.
Smooth OperatorsSome generators still employ manual transfer switches, but automatic transfer switches are replacing them. Wired into a home's electrical load panel and connected to a natural gas line or liquid propane tank, automatic standby generators sit on call, waiting for a power outage. An automatic transfer switch senses when power is lost, signaling the generator to start up and to transfer designated electrical loads to the generator within seconds. It also senses when power returns, transfers loads back to the utility supply, and shuts down the equipment.
Even when the owner is not home, an automatic generator keeps critical systems operating, an important benefit in humid regions where a few days without air conditioning can allow mold and mildew to grow and in cold regions where loss of heat can cause water pipes to freeze.
Generator capacity is determined by the number and type of electrical loads homeowners desire during a power outage. "Some people want the entire house backed up, with nothing left out during an outage—a whole-house system. Some people just want a few key items—an essential load system," says Melanie Tydrich, senior product manager for Kohler Power Systems.
Some dwellings can make do with a 6kW or 7kW generator, but others typically require at least a 20kW unit to provide enough energy to run everything from the refrigerator to the security system.
Generac Power Systems, which makes 7kW to 150kW units, finds that its most popular package is a 16kW, says senior marketing manager Dan Gianpetroni. (Generac and Building Products' parent company are both owned by affiliates of JP Morgan Partners.)
Friendly FeaturesSeveral technological improvements are making standby generators more efficient and compact, quieter, easier to use, and able to supply "clean" power. In addition to automatically transferring loads from utility to generator and back again, automatic transfer switches also exercise the generator periodically to keep it running properly. Some switches incorporate alarms to notify the homeowner when the generator needs service.
Clean power has become an important feature because sensitive electronic equipment like computers or plasma TVs require a relatively pure electrical sine wave with little harmonic distortion—or spikes—that can damage them, according to Dan Meikle, director of Cummins Power Generation's residential and portable business. Most manufacturers have reduced the amount of harmonic distortion in the electricity produced by their generators to provide power that matches or is closer to utility quality.
A few manufacturers are developing wireless handheld monitors that provide homeowners with a familiar interface. Future innovations may include Web interfaces so homeowners can access their generators from anywhere and to enable the equipment to send e-mail notifications when maintenance is required.
Weighing the CostsFew home buyers initially purchase a generator, but losing all the contents of a refrigerator or having a finished basement ruined because a sump pump doesn't turn on is a powerful memory. "Anyone who has had a loss of power is an easy sell," says Joel Andersen, president of Andersen Homes in Downers Grove, Ill.
Still, the cost of a whole-house generator may be out of reach for many home buyers. Stuart McDonald, vice president of operations at Mercedes Homes in Melbourne, Fla., proposes that the federal government could help out. If it offered a rebate, much like the one on solar power, "based on the interest of people
I've talked to, I think more than 70 percent of people would buy [a generator]." Even without a rebate, 8 percent to 9 percent of his clients opted for a generator this year, up from 4 percent to 5 percent last year, McDonald says.
A Selling PointGianpetroni suggests: Although generators can be added as a retrofit, it's much less expensive to install the transfer switch and run the pipe out of the wall during construction. Plus, home buyers can roll the cost into their mortgages.
Although most power outages are brief, longer lapses can cause costly damage. For homeowners, living through the insurance nightmare of getting damages repaired is usually worse than the power outage itself, points out custom builder Scott Hobbs of Hobbs Inc. in New Canaan, Conn. "For the expense of one insurance deductible, our clients can install some minimal protection" in the form of a low-kilowatt standby generator, he says.
Over the years, generators have gone from being the exception in Hobbs' homes to being the rule. With the wide selection of products and prices, manufacturers are providing builders and their clients options to make them standard in most new homes. -- BUILDING PRODUCTS
This article originally appeared in Custom Home magazine. Diane Kittower contributed to this report.
 | Kohler Power Systems.The Kohler 30RES 30kW standby generator features a sound enclosure designed to reduce noise levels to 68 decibels. The system's Advanced Digital Control is integrated into the enclosure's interior and provides precise voltage and frequency regulation. Its LED display shows run-time hours, crank cycle status, and diagnostics. The controller's membrane keypad provides user access to menus and allows for system configuration. 800-544-2444. www.kohlerpowersystems.com. |
| Eaton. The 20kW Home Generator System features fully automatic operation that starts the unit during a power outage; a commercial-grade, air-cooled engine; and Sound Shield technology for quiet operation. According to the firm, the generator provides enough power to operate HVAC systems as well as essential household power requirements. High-efficiency computer controls and remote power monitoring are available as upgrades. 800-525-2000. www.eatonelectrical.com. |  |
 | Briggs & Stratton. The IntelliGen generator's controls automatically turn designated circuits on and off to manage whole-house power consumption without overloading the 15kW unit. Because of this feature, the manufacturer says the IntelliGen can manage the same number of items as a 25kW unit. A wireless LCD monitor allows the homeowner to configure the system remotely. 800-732-2989. www.homegeneratorsystems.com. |
| Coleman. The 25kW PM4025 PowerStation features a 16-gauge steel enclosure, vertical air discharge, and lockable doors with sound baffles to help reduce noise to an average of 66 decibels. A digital remote start/stop controller provides accurate monitoring, display, and protection. Metering systems help manage operation. 800-445-1805. www.colemanpowermate.com. |  |
 | Triton Power. H-Series diesel-fueled commercial-grade generators come in a range of sizes and are available in open or sound-attenuated-enclosure styles. The units include EPA-compliant Perkins engines and offer ultra-quiet operation to 62 decibels, the company says. Details include rounded corners and aluminum hardware designed to withstand heavy-duty use and extreme weather. 800-424-0007. www.tritonpower.com. |
| Winco. The company offers a complete line of standby generators from 8kW to 75kW. The 8kW, 12kW, and 15kW models are air-cooled, run off of natural gas or propane, and are wired to the electrical box through an automatic transfer switch that will turn the generator on when it senses power loss and turn it off when power is restored. Liquid-cooled 27kW through 75kW units also are offered for large residential use. 507-357-6821. www.wincogen.com. |  |
 | Baldor. The GLC line of commercial/industrial standby generators is now available in 10kW to 25kW models. The generators feature a water-cooled four-stroke gaseous engine, brushless synchronous alternator with four-pole construction, a fully programmable microprocessor-based controller, and a heavy-duty air cleaner. Options include an automatic transfer switch and a sound-attenuated enclosure. 479-646-4711. www.baldor.com. |
| Carrier. The Automatic Home Standby Generator, available in models up to 45kW, provides automatic power outage protection 24/7; the generator restores power to the home within 30 seconds of power loss. The unit's sound-deadening insulation maintains sound levels as low as 69 decibels, says the firm. The generator runs on LP or natural gas. 800-227-7437. www.carrier.com. |  |
 | Generac Power Systems. The 16kW Guardian QuietSource is designed to provide enough power to start one 5-ton air conditioner or two 4-ton air conditioners and power 16 circuits in the home. Its Whisper-Test feature reduces operating noise by 50 percent during weekly self-testing cycles. The unit comes pre-packaged with a 100-amp automatic transfer switch with load center and other installation components. 800-333-1322. www.guardiangenerators.com. |