Generators are available in several different sizes and types. You need to make sure that you buy the right type of generator that will meet your requirements. An important step in buying the right generator is to determine your requirements.
The requirements of commercial generators are somewhat similar to residential generators. But there are also some differences that you must know about. Here you will learn about factors that should be considered for buying the right type of commercial Huntsville generators.
1. Power Requirements
Buying the right generator for a commercial building requires determining the power requirements in kW. You need to make sure that the generator will be able to meet the power requirements of the building.
You can determine the power requirements in two ways:
Monthly Utility Bills
The first method is to look at the monthly statement dispatched by the utility provider. You can figure out the average and peak demands in the past 12 months by looking at the statement. This will serve as a base for understanding the power requirements of the commercial building.
Find out the highest wattage in the past year. Once you have identified the peak demand, you should take 25 percent of the wattage that represents the reserve power requirements. You should now add the reserve power wattage to the total wattage to know the size of the commercial generator you should buy.
Square Footage Method
A much simpler method is to find out the square footage of the restaurant, retail store, or other commercial space. You should then use the following formula to know the generator size you should buy.
50 kilowatts + 5 watts per square foot
The above method will give you a rough estimate of the generator size that is best for the commercial space.
2. Type of Fuel
Fuel type is also an important consideration when buying a commercial generator. Most generators run on four different types of fuel i.e. gasoline, natural gas, diesel, and propane.
Diesel is the recommended fuel type for large commercial generators with over 150kW requirement. Natural gas generators won’t take on heavy loads. But the fuel source is generally less costly as compared to diesel or gasoline generators. A problem with natural gas generators is that they undergo accelerated wear and tear. These are less durable and the maintenance cost will be higher as compared to diesel and gasoline generators.
The high cost of propane makes generators that run on this fuel to be less practical for large commercial businesses. Smaller businesses with low power requirements can use propane generators since the cost differences between other fuel types will not be significant.
3. Operating Time
The third important factor that should be considered is the operating time of the generator. Diesel generators can run continuously for 24 + hours without any breaks. In contrast, gasoline generators can operate continuously for 10 hours after which they must be shut down for a few hours.
A diesel generator is recommended if you will be running the generator for extended periods. In contrast, a gasoline generator will be suitable if you intend to run it for only a couple of hours a month.
Gasoline generators are suitable for a backup power source that is required only when the main power goes out temporarily during a blackout. But if you want to use the generator as an alternate power source, you should consider buying a diesel generator.
Contact Generac Superstore if you want to buy Generac generators in Huntsville, AL. We deal with sales of new Huntsville prime power generators. You can also contact us for generator repair and maintenance in Huntsville, AL.