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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">August,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">I don’t have a specific recommendation on a generator, but I do want to make a few points considering your setup.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">Since you only have one Sunny Island, you can only use a 120 VAC input. So you will need a generator that either only has 120V output, or can be re-configured for full output at 120V. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">Some generators have a switch marked “120/240 VAC” on one side and “120 VAC only” on the other, which will work if you switch it to the 120V only side. Some generators just have a “full-output 120V” twist-lock plug on them, and that will work too. Some hard-wired generators allow you to rewire them to get full output at 120V.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">However, if the generator is a 120/240 unit, and has no provision to full output at 120V, you will need a second transformer to step the 240V down to 120V.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">If you connect the SI up to just one leg of a 240V generator, you will only get half of the generator’s rated power, and you will greatly unbalance the genny, since you will only be pulling power from one leg. This is hard on the generator’s bearings and will shorten its life (the bearing on the end of the alternator’s rotor seems to get the biggest beating). You might also get erratic AC voltages on the output. I don’t recommend it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">Another thing with “portable” generators is that if they have normal receptacles on them, there may be an internal bond between ground and neutral. This can be a problem. It’s been years since I have installed any generators, but I tried a number of times in the past to separate the bonding only to then have lost function of the remote start capability. If this is the case, the only solution that I found was to not run the ground wire from the genny to the inverter (it would only end up being a parallel neutral if I did, since there is a bond at the power system where it should be). Not exactly to Code, but safer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">I did recently read through a manual on a new Honda unit (7 kW I think), and it specifically said that the neutral and ground were not internally bonded. Great for connecting to an inverter system with its own bonding. Check the manual, or do a continuity test, on whatever generator you end up choosing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">Brian Teitelbaum</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">AEE Solar</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #b5c4df 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> RE-wrenches [mailto:<a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>August Goers<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 15, 2017 2:33 PM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Generator choice for Sunny Island</span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Good question – I was assuming a regular gasoline genny mostly because the container will be moved from time to time. Whatever type of fuel, it definitely has to be portable.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">August</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> RE-wrenches [mailto:<a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Chris Mason<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 15, 2017 12:03 PM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Generator choice for Sunny Island</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div><p class="MsoNormal">Sho you want diesel, propane or natgas?</p><div><p class="MsoNormal">Nathan is more reliable as it does not require a refuel.</p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div><p class="MsoNormal">On Jun 15, 2017 12:02, "August Goers" <<a href="mailto:august@luminalt.com">august@luminalt.com</a>> wrote:</p><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #cccccc 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt"><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">Hi Wrenches, especially those of you who work on off-grid projects,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">We have an upcoming off-grid project where we will be powering a storage container with electronics in it. The loads are mostly 120 volt but there is a 240 volt heat pump that might occasionally run. We’re AC coupling the Sunny Island with a Sunny Boy PV inverter. So, we’ll be installing a Outback PSX-240 autoformer to bump the Sunny Island’s output from 120 to 240 volt. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">We need to select a generator for backup. We need a two-wire electric start (in order to be controlled by the Sunny Island) and preferably a generator that is okay just running 120 volt loads since the Sunny Islands input is only 120 volt. Something in the 3 kVA -7 kVA range should be fine. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">Does anyone have experience or ideas about what kind of two-wire start generator we might select?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">Thanks,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">August</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">Luminalt</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><br>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Redwood Alliance<br><br>List Address: <a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>Change listserver email address & settings:<br><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List-Archive: <a href="http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html" target="_blank">http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html</a><br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm" target="_blank">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br><br>Check out or update participant bios:<br><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a></p></blockquote></div></div></div></body></html>