BACKUP ELECTRICAL POWER
Diesel Generators for Homes & Business
Are
electricity cuts a hassle?
Would you like to
be able to simply switch on your own electrical supply and carry on with life
during a mains power outage?? - you can!
The modern home or business is a very dead place when
the grid power fails. In rural areas, homes relying solely on electricity are
reduced to the status of a shelter. Given the large amount of national
infrastructure that has to be operational to keep the electricity supply
functional and the risk of its failure, some consideration should be made to an
alternative means of energy during outages.
Internationally, a number of different answers are
available to the problem of “what do we do when the grid power fails?” Most
suggest an engine driven generator, but the fuel type varies. Where reticulated
LPG or CNG is common, engines using these fuels are installed and no storage
tanks are required. The other options are petrol, diesel, or bio-type fuels.
Different voltages, line frequencies and circuit connections are used
worldwide. Only generators compatible with our electrical system are any use
here. Noise is a factor that most overlook, until they and their
neighbors have been exposed to the continuous rumble of a diesel engine for
many hours. We think that anything that approaches 70dba at 7 meters is
excessive for close operation to a dwelling.
After researching the NZ situation, Electric Exploits
recommends the Denyo range of Gensets as being the most suitable for domestic
standby duty in NZ. Denyo are specialist generator manufacturers and offer many
features that 
make their
machines user friendly and reliable. They are constructed in tidy weatherproof
sound attenuating enclosures, and can be installed on a concrete base or other
suitable bearer at a site selected for ease of refueling and discrete
operation. Additional primary protection from the elements will aid longevity,
especially on exposed sites. With a size selected for the installation’s
loading, and connected by either auto-start or manual switching, they will
maintain the selected domestic electrical loads during mains outages. The
running time is limited only by the available fuel reserve. Correctly stored,
diesel is relatively safe and will keep for a number of years without loss of
quality. We install battery chargers to maintain the starting battery
condition, ensuring a start when you need it.
Denyo Gensets come in an assortment of single phase
sizes from 6kVA, and three phase from 11kVA upward. They operate at 1500 Rpm
with a noise level of down to 62dBA @ 7 Mtrs. This is far superior to many
cheaper alternatives.
Another option is the tidy canopy sets from FG Wilson.
These are also quiet exterior units from a reputable
manufacturer. 1500Rpm Kubota with a Mecc Alte Alternator. Available in 6
and 8kVA.
We also offer these Kubota diesel units. A 2 pole
genset which means it runs at 3000 RPM, they are a compact power unit that will
supply an average house. Two models, 5.5kVA ( 2 cylinder) or 8 kVA ( 3 cylinder
) continuous rated. Noise at 7 Mtrs is better than 68 dBA. These gensets will
provide sufficient power to maintain the essential items in the average NZ
dwelling when the mains power fails. Your frig, freezer, water pump, electronic
appliances and lights will work. The average kiwi family would be able to
operate the usual kitchen appliances including some use of an electric range,
especially if using the 8kVA unit. Also, with an automatic load shedding device
any spare grunt could be turned into electric water heating. Things like floor
and space heaters could only be used with discretion when other loads were not
required. They are primarily designed for manual operation and require some
weatherproofing. We have designed a ducting to enable these to be fitted into a
lightweight garden shed, or a suitable detached outbuilding. They weigh 235kg
dry so they are not to be considered as a ‘lightweight portable’. We have been
impressed by the stable output of these gensets, even under considerable short
term overloads.
Alternatively, we could install a transfer switch and
a lead so you can connect a portable genset to your valuable electrical
installation - if you dare! The genset has to be able to supply the
maximum demand put on it without faltering, even if it be only for a second or
less while a motor starts. Motor driven items like freezers & waterpumps
can be notoriously difficult start with small gensets, as their starting demand
is many times what the label says they operate at. A data logger can be used to
chart your usage over a few days. This gives a good idea of the electrical
demand of your installation so that an appropriately sized machine can be
supplied.
Cabled correctly to your distribution panel via a
transfer switch, a good generator will keep your electrical gear alive when the
mains power is dead. If this never happens at your place, you don’t need one!
Chinese
manufacture??
See my experience
See others experiences
