[RE-wrenches] Off-Grid Generac EcoGen 6 kW

[Jeff Yago]

I have not been a fan of any Generac brand generators, especially their
low-cost, highly marketed residential stand-by generators.  Although things
may have changed, these were very hard to use with a typical inverter's
2-wire remote start relay, most warranties were voided if used in off-grid
applications, and their high speed engines just did not last as long as
lower speed engines.

Last year Generac came out with their smaller EcoGen 6 kW propane-fueled
model that they claim was specifically designed for off-grid applications.
As I understand it, this is a vertical shaft engine operating at 2600 RPM
and belt-drives the generator section.  The info also claims a simple 2-wire
start/stop (like Kohler) which would be a major improvement, and the output
can be 100% at 120 VAC which would be a great match to a smaller single
120VAC inverter off-grid solar system.

However, anyone have any actual experience with this model?  Does it
actually hold up to off-grid type longer operating hours?  Warranty claim
issues?  

Do electronics require lots of standby power or a separate source to keep
from discharging starter battery? (This was a complaint I had with Kohler's
model changes which sucked down power in standby mode due to the added
electronic monitoring panel not on earlier models.)

Any maintenance issues with belt drive?  Do I finally take Generac off my
"stay away from" list?

Thanks,

Jeff Yago
DTI Solar Inc.