Buying a generator is never easy, overlook one single step and you will be dealing with an undesirable situation – too much stress on the generator, damaged equipment connected to it and an unnecessary waste of hard-earned money.
Especially since it comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes – the task at hand is all the more difficult.
While the brand and model does play a part when purchasing a generator – it’s all pointless if the size chosen is wrong from the start.
So, let us explain to you how to carefully pick the right generator to serve your business’s needs.
Determine the total wattage needed
First and foremost, you need to find out what the generator is being used for.
Put all the different equipment together in a list and take down the power needed to support them. Next thing to do is add all of the wattages up into one lump sum. From there, you can figure out the minimum electrical input required from a generator.
To obtain the wattage information – look at the identification plate on the equipment or in the manufacturer’s guide in the kit you will receive from the respective appliance, device tool or other electrical equipment.
Now the trouble will lie in calculating the total power. Some of the equipment will be listed in watts, but others might be in ampere instead. A simple conversion tool or the assistance of an experienced engineer will easily resolve this matter – totalling the full sum across all the equipment.
Applications of generator
While you are making your list of all the items which requires a generator to start, here are some of the applicable equipment which will give you a better idea of the equipment types that will fit this category:
Factory equipment: From machines to conveyors, these have to be operating at all times for the business’s production to go smoothly. Otherwise, a power outage can cause equipment failure and impact the business negatively. Choosing a standby or backup generator with the right sizing ensures that enough power is being supplied to the equipment.
Industrial gears: Your staff will have to use many different tools daily in the workplace. It can range from jackhammers, sanders, rivet guns to nailers. All these will require power to be supplied to them – which is why a generator with the right sizing is necessary. Otherwise, these tools will breakdown and in turn – affect the business’s operations.
Determine the running requirements
Depending on how much power your equipment requires, you need to understand if you need a generator which provides one phase or three-phase power. Typically, industrial applications will require three-phase power generators.
However, it’s really up to your equipment, and how much power they actually need. Also, there is a variety of generators out there. Are you looking for a natural gas generator to power your industrial tools? Or are you seeking a portable generator to conveniently use whenever there is a power outage?
Figure out if the generator you’re searching for is going to be your primary power supply or just a standby measure.
Normally, a generator which is going to be used as the primary power source should only be used at 70 to 80% capacity. It should never be a case where you are using your generator at maximum capacity for over 30 minutes – it will only damage the generator and cause it to breakdown. Otherwise, you might have to call your engineer to do generator overhauling to resolve the problem.
Consider your site conditions
After you have an idea of your load capacity and running requirements, you will understand the amount of electrical input which is required from a generator.
Once that part is all clarified – you can now proceed to look at the conditions of your site. When it comes to the delivery process, you need to have proper access for your generator. Otherwise, it will not be transported to the designated location – let alone be moved around from time to time if it’s a portable generator especially.
On the other hand, another problem which has to be dealt with consists of insufficient room. In the case where space is required to extend the stabilizer legs – enough room is needed to let this happen. If not, the generator will not be able to be placed properly by the crane, disallowing it from positioning itself accurately to its chosen area in the factory or plant.
Why is it important to choose the right size?
Picking the right generator size is never easy, and takes quite a bit of effort. However, when you do it correctly, you are not only allowing your equipment to operate successfully but you also get to reap the benefits as mentioned below:
- Maximizing your generator lifespan
- Improved generator performance
- Lower chances of dealing with asset or property damage
- Sufficient load capacity
- Lesser unanticipated system failures
- Promoting safer working conditions
Understanding how to choose the right generator sizing is extremely important. If you want your business to run smoothly, you have to know how to do the selection properly.
Perhaps, you could start by going for a cummins generator installation in Singapore if you’re looking to find your generator in the future. These generators are highly efficient and will be able to support other equipment in the plant well.
From maintaining your business’s operations to preventing unwanted events from occurring – generator sizing done correctly can help in a lot of ways.