Gallon Growers: Generators — More Necessary Now Than Ever

Cyber terrorism. Increased severe weather-related events. An aging power grid system. Now, more than at any point in history, the homeowner and business owner face increased threats to utility security from a myriad of sources.

For example, according to back-up generator manufacturer Generac, not only are storms occurring more frequently, they have become much more severe. While senior product manager Ray Stanek stays away from the potentially explosive debate of whether the cause is climate change, he says Generac is dedicated to its mission to make sure effective products are available.

But when it comes to cyber terrorism, it’s a growing area of focus. “We saw cyber terrorism in New Jersey that had a slight impact on the power grid,” Stanek says. “I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but it is a concern, and it is a threat, and we do see isolated incidents.”

“The unfortunate part about this is that many homeowners wait until an emergency strikes to purchase back-up power products. As hurricanes, natural disasters, and rolling brownouts have recently shown homeowners in the U.S., having a back-up power source is imperative if you wish to live comfortably and safely when extended outages occur,” says Stanek.

In addition to a power grid diminishing in reliability, appliances in today’s homes are becoming increasingly “smart,” Stanek points out. “As security systems, electronic locks, electric garage doors, and other technologically advanced features continue to become more prominent in today’s households, having a home standby generator provides not only power but also peace of mind.”

According to Generac, more than 1.2 million of the 24 million U.S. residential customers who experienced power outages over the last year were without power for more than 18 million hours in total. Fusion4Freedom reports there are 148 million utility customers.

Outages can cause damage to food due to loss of refrigeration, indoor flooding caused by inoperable sump pumps, and burst pipes as the result of freezing temperatures when no heat is available.

According to TraQline, which reports consumer-reported purchases of generators, over the past five years 36% of standby generators sold were powered by propane. Just under 60% were powered by natural gas, with the remainder powered by diesel or gasoline.

One of the major advantages of using a generator that is fueled by propane is power, according to Briggs & Stratton. “Propane-fired generators will produce more watts than the equivalent natural gas-powered generators.” Another major positive to using propane over natural gas is the ease of installation. “Since you can regulate the fuel pressure of your own line, you can ensure you get the proper Btu to power your generator, and your [fuel] is less costly.”

A standby generator can also potentially reduce the insurance rate for homeowners and businesses, and even provide a boost to property value, says Briggs & Stratton. Also, standby generators turn on automatically and provide continuous power until utility power is restored.

Propane has other clear advantages, says Stanek. “Propane is a very consistent fuel source. It’s cleaner-burning and has a higher power density than natural gas. As our home standby generators can be easily reconfigured to operate on natural gas or liquid propane fuel, installation requirements are the same for either fuel source.”

Propane use can vary from one application to the next, since the size of the generator as well as the power requirements of connected loads will lead to fluctuating consumption rates. Generac’s home standby generators, which range from 7.5 kw to 22 kw in power output capacity, have fuel consumption rates between 0.87 and 2.56 gallons per hour when operating at half load on liquid propane, according to Stanek.

“As automatic standby generators are designed to operate when local utility power is lost, product use will vary from one region [or] installation to the next.” For instance, a region that is prone to outages caused by storms, frequent icing, and a general lack of grid stability will lose power more often than an area in which the grid is stronger and storms and freezing temperatures occur less frequently, Stanek points out. “The only consistent aspect of product operation among home standby generators is the weekly exercise time. Our newer generator models operate for five minutes on a weekly basis to ensure the generator is prepared for operation whenever power outages occur.”

Says Briggs & Stratton, “We see customers installing generators at their home/business as peace of mind, and these customers may not use the generator very frequently, but in the event of a power outage, they do not want their life interrupted. On the other hand, there are many customers who either live in an area where storms are more frequent or the grid is overtasked, and these customers use their generator monthly if not weekly.”

Prices range widely, with Generac air-cooled automatic standby home back-up units running from $1900 to $5600 MSRP, including transfer switch. These units are designed to operate on either natural gas or liquid propane. Installation fees, local building codes, permits, etc., are determined by the independent authorized dealer chosen to install the generator at the customer’s home, says Stanek. Commercial units start around $8800.

The Guardian Series automatic standby generator line is Generac’s most popular and units feature True Power Technology. This allows Guardian Series generators to deliver clean electric power for the smooth operation of sensitive electronics and appliances, says Stanek. Each Guardian Series generator also features an Evolution controller. They offer a multilingual LCD display that allows end users to monitor the generator’s battery status, track maintenance intervals, and ensure the generator is in peak operating condition.

Finally, Generac’s Mobile Link remote monitoring device can be purchased separately to monitor the generator’s status from anywhere in the world using a smartphone, tablet, or PC.

Briggs & Stratton’s propane standby generators can run from $2000 to $70,000, depending on power needs. But an average homeowner will have a 12-kw generator for whole-house protection, which runs about $3200 with transfer switch plus installation. For a 20-kw unit, it would be about $4700 with transfer switch plus installation.

“In the last few years, new features in the standby generator category have allowed for easier installation, like with our Direct Power technology; longer-lasting, more reliable generators; smaller, more compact and fuel-efficient generators; and a variety of ways to monitor generator performance,” says Briggs & Stratton. There is also patented power management technology, Symphony II.

“Our standby generators start at about $2500 for an 8-kw unit with an automatic transfer switch,” says Melanie Tydrich, senior channel manager with Kohler Generators. “Professional installation is required, and the cost for that will vary from home to home. So, it’s important to meet with an authorized Kohler dealer to discuss all of your options and get a site-specific quote.

“Kohler generators are loaded with features, including our PowerBoost technology, which starts large loads like central air conditioners without dropping power to other appliances,” says Tydrich. “All of our generators are also quiet —with neighborhood-friendly sound l evels — and come with a corrosion-proof enclosure that’s built to last. Perhaps most importantly, our generators feature commercial-grade Kohler engines and are backed by an extensive five-year, 2000-hour warranty.

“With our OneCue Plus Generator Management System, homeowners can also receive real-time updates about their Kohler generator from their smartphone or tablet, whether they’re home, traveling, or on the go,” says Tydrich. “Through the system’s Programmable Interface Module (PIM), you can also turn a variety of items like appliances, outdoor lighting, and storm shutters on and off remotely from anywhere in the world where there’s broadband or cellphone service.”

Generac introduced its first home standby generator for the residential market in 1989. “Since then, we’ve worked to create more efficient and powerful generators. Our goal is to create reliable generators that can protect homeowners in an emergency, no matter how long or severe a power outage may be,” says Stanek.

“We are developing ideas that will allow us to make the generators more powerful, more affordable, and cleaner burning than ever before. Doing so will allow homeowners to protect themselves and their families more cost-effectively, no matter the power outage,” says Stanek.

“Looking ahead, there’s a lot of room for growth in the category. Our country’s electrical grid is aging and becoming less reliable at the same time that we’re becoming more and more dependent on electricity to power our connected lives,” observes Kohler’s Tydrich. “And, while there hasn’t been a major weather event since Superstorm Sandy in 2012, weather-related power outages have doubled since 2003, costing Americans an estimated $25 to $70 billion per year. So, going without power has become much more than a simple inconvenience.

“We’ve seen moderate growth over the past few years,” says Tydrich. “But, if you take a longer-term approach and look back to say 2004 or 2005, the growth from that point forward has been pretty significant. That said, the category is still far from mature, with just 3.5% of U.S households having a standby generator. So, we think the future is bright as more consumers learn about the many benefits of standby power at home.”