<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">The Yamaha 2800 inverter generator is also a good choice, but only for small systems. I found them an ideal match for the mod sine DR inverters (especially the DR1500s)<div>I've done a couple of propane conversions to these, but I can't recommend it. Worked fine, just by the time you're done, it is more cost effective to just get a Kohler from Lowes.</div><div>(I know, they're air cooled, 3600 rpm, but they're still better than any portable)</div><div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>R. Walters</div><div><a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</a></div><div>Solar Engineer</div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span>
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<br><div><div>On Jan 25, 2011, at 7:44 AM, bob ellison wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; "><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="4" color="black" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">For something small it’s hard to beat the Honda inverter generators, for larger I have customers who have the 16 KW Perkins Diesel generators from Hardy diesel and are very happy with them. These engines are built in the Caterpillar plant in the US (Georgia?) We are in a very cold area, last night was -32 F. They use a propane wall heater to keep the temp in the 40’s to 50’s or better sometimes and starting is not a problem. It’s just one of the costs of a generator in a cold area.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="4" color="black" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="4" color="black" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">More of my .02 worth!<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="4" color="black" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="4" color="black" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Later,<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="4" color="black" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Bob Ellison<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="4" color="black" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div><div style="border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(181, 196, 223); border-top-width: 1pt; padding-top: 3pt; padding-right: 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; "><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; ">From:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">On Behalf Of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b>Randy Brooks<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Sent:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Monday, January 24, 2011 3:16 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">To:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Wrenches RE<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Subject:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[RE-wrenches] Generator for off grid<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Fellow Wrenches,<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">What generator manufacturer are you currently recommending for off grid use? A Kohler 18RES (LP, 3,600 rpm, air cooled) a customer installed last year has already failed after 370 hours of use during 6 months of construction and winter occupancy. It consumed enough oil to cause the low oil shutoff to activate, and the generator controller board is fried. The owner is still negotiating with Kohler, but Kohler has said they will not support any of their generators used off grid.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">The owner is looking at a Cummins Onan 20 kW GGMA (LP, 1,800 rpm, liquid cooled).<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Any suggestions would be appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; ">Randy Brooks<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; ">Brooks Solar, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><b><i><font size="1" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; ">Solar Power for People</span></font></i></b><font size="1" color="black"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; "><o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; ">140 Columbia View<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; ">Chelan, WA<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>98816<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; ">509-682-9646<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; "><a href="mailto:Randy@BrooksSolar.com" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">Randy@BrooksSolar.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; "><a href="http://www.BrooksSolar.com/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.BrooksSolar.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Home Power magazine<br><br>List Address:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>Options & settings:<br><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List-Archive:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br><br>Check out participant bios:<br><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>