Important Industrial Generator Facts

The industrial generator is an engine-generator sets, or gensets that is used to provide power supply in commercial and industrial establishments. These are necessary so that all machines or pieces of equipment will continue to operate even during power failures.

An industrial generator, or power generator, is an investment that businesses need to spend a lot of money on. While this appliance may seem useless when there is consistent power supply, it will turn out to be a life-saving device when there is power interruption. Generators can be used as primary power sources or standby power sources.

These power generating devices come in a variety of sizes and capacities. While generators used in residential homes may produce up to 5 kilowatts (5 kW), industrial versions can generate up to 6 Megawatts (MW). In fact, some of these industrial power generators are capable of lighting up an entire residential complex or shopping mall. Because of their increased capacities, these generators have gigantic proportions. The more common types of industrial generating devices are single phase, kW, KVA, welder, motor starting or three phase generators.

A single phase generator is ideal if there are no motors or machines that consume above five horsepower. Three-phase power generators, on the other hand, are ideal for motor running and starting. In addition, these generators are designed to generate 277/480 or 120/208 volts.

When shopping for an industrial power generator, it is important to determine first the power requirement that the generator needs to supply. When this is already known, it is easier to choose from among the many generators available in the market. Personal and home use generators can produce anywhere from 5kW to 50 kW of power supply, while industrial generating devices can produce 50kW to 6 MW. Undersizing generators should be avoided as this can damage not only the generator, but also the appliance it is supporting.

Generators may run on different types of fuel like natural gas, propane, gasoline, or diesel. To make new models of generators more flexible, they are made with dual-fuel and tri-fuel configurations, so that they are compatible with various fuel types. Generators for industrial purposes usually run on diesel because this fuel has better longevity and lower costs compared to the others. Gasoline is also a cheap fuel type, but it is not as widely-used in industrial purposes because it is highly flammable at low temperatures.

Generators, especially industrial power generators, are expensive purchases. Each generator unit may cost several thousands of dollars. Because these devices are necessary to make locomotives, automobiles, construction equipment, and other industrial applications, commercial and industrial companies invest on high-quality industrial power generators.

In order to cut corners, some companies opt to purchase used or pre-owned generators and surplus generators instead of new ones. In fact, a number of buyers have been lucky enough to purchase low-hour used generators at half their market price. Nevertheless, when deciding to purchase pre-owned generator units, it is important to assess the history and reputation of the seller or dealer and inspect the physical condition of the unit before shelling out even a single cent.