Posts

How to Size a Commercial Standby Generator: Load, Starting Current and Future Growth

Getting the size right is the most important part of buying a commercial standby generator. Too small and it can overload or fail to start your equipment. Too large and it costs more and may run inefficiently at light load. Here’s a simple way to work it out. Step 1: Add Up Your Essential Load Decide what must stay on List the equipment you need during an outage, such as lighting, IT, refrigeration, security systems and machinery. Backing up the whole site needs a bigger set than backing up essential circuits only. Total what runs at the same time Add the running power (kW) of everything that will be on together, not everything on site. Step 2: Allow for Starting Current Motors draw more at start-up Pumps, compressors, lifts and air conditioning can draw several times their running current for a moment. Your generator must handle the largest start while other loads are already running. Step 3: Convert kW to kVA Use the power factor Generators are rated in kVA. Many 3 phase r...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Size Commercial Standby Generators: kVA, Load and Phase Explained

Choosing the right size for commercial standby generators comes down to three questions: how much power your site really draws, how hard your equipment hits the generator when it starts, and whether your supply is single phase or three phase. Get those right and the generator starts cleanly and carries the load. Get them wrong and you either pay for capacity you never use or watch the set struggle the first time the mains fails. This guide walks through the sizing process step by step, with a worked example you can adapt. Why Sizing Matters An undersized generator can overload, trip, or fail to start large motors. An oversized one costs more to buy, takes up more space, and can run inefficiently at a very light load. Proper sizing is the cheapest way to protect the investment. A standby generator is permanently installed and starts automatically when mains power is lost, usually through an automatic transfer switch. Because it becomes part of the building's electrical system, it h...
Post a Comment
Location: United Kingdom
Read more

Diesel Generator Fuel Consumption - Litres Per Hour by kVA (Full Chart)

Image
The short answer A diesel generator burns roughly 0.24 to 0.30 litres of fuel per kilowatt-hour of electricity it produces . Bigger sets sit at the efficient end of that range, small sets at the thirsty end, and every set gets less efficient the further it runs below its rating. For a quick estimate, take the generator's kVA rating, multiply by 0.8 to get kW, multiply by your load percentage, then multiply by 0.26. A 500 kVA set running at 75% load: 500 × 0.8 × 0.75 × 0.26 = about 78 litres per hour . The full chart below does that calculation for every common size we supply, from 10 kVA up to 3000 kVA. Full fuel consumption chart: litres per hour by kVA These figures are calculated at 0.8 power factor, which is the standard rating basis for three-phase generator sets. They include a part-load efficiency penalty, because a generator running at half load does not use half the fuel of one at full load. Generator Size Output (kW) 50% Load 75% Load 100% Load 10 kVA 8 kW...
Post a Comment
Location: United Kingdom
Read more

How Does a Power Generator Work? A Simple Explanation for Non-Engineers

Image
If you have ever wondered what is actually happening inside a generator when it roars to life and keeps your lights on during a power cut, you are not alone. The principle behind a generator is genuinely straightforward once it is explained without the technical jargon — and understanding it helps you make better decisions about sizing, maintenance, and what to expect from the equipment. This guide explains how a power generator works from fuel to socket, in plain English. The One-Line Answer A power generator converts fuel — most commonly diesel — into electricity. It does this in two stages: the engine converts fuel into movement, and the alternator converts that movement into electrical current. Everything else on the generator supports these two core processes. Stage One - The Engine Turns Fuel Into Movement The engine is the starting point of the whole process. A diesel generator engine works on the same fundamental principle as the engine in a lorry or a tractor — it bur...
Post a Comment
Location: United Kingdom
Read more

Diesel Electric Generators Explained - From Fuel to Usable Power

Image
 A diesel-electric generator is one of the most reliable ways to turn stored fuel into usable electricity on demand. It's the technology behind everything from construction site power to hospital backup systems — but the actual process of getting from a tank of diesel to a working power socket involves a few clear stages worth understanding. Step 1: Combustion. Diesel fuel is injected into the engine's cylinders and ignited under high compression, without the need for a spark plug. This combustion drives the pistons, which turn the engine's crankshaft — converting the chemical energy in the fuel into mechanical, rotational energy. Step 2: Mechanical to electrical conversion. The spinning crankshaft is directly coupled to an alternator. Inside the alternator, this rotation moves a magnetic field across copper windings, inducing an electrical current through electromagnetic induction. This is the exact point where mechanical energy becomes usable electricity. Step 3: R...
Post a Comment
Location: United Kingdom
Read more

How Quiet Is a Silent Generator? Real-World Noise Levels for UK Buyers

Image
A silent generator typically runs at around 65–77 dB(A) measured at 1 metre , or roughly 55–68 dB(A) at 7 metres — compared to 75–85 dB(A) for an open-frame unit at the same distance. But the honest answer is: it depends entirely on how and where you measure it, and that's exactly where most buyers get confused. How Generator Noise Is Actually Measured Noise is measured in dB(A), or A-weighted decibels, which reflects how the human ear perceives sound intensity. The decibel scale is logarithmic, not linear — a 10 dB increase represents roughly 10 times the sound intensity and is perceived as about twice as loud. This is why a generator rated at 75 dB(A) isn't "a bit louder" than one rated at 65 dB(A) — it's substantially louder. The detail that catches most buyers out is the  measurement distance . Manufacturers typically quote dB(A) at either 1 metre or 7 metres from the unit, and the same generator can show very different numbers depending on which is used. A...
Post a Comment
Location: United Kingdom
Read more