From: Two Backup Generators Are Better Than One, Dairy Finds
An Efficient and Cost-Effective Choice
The 750-kW Gemini Twin Pack diesel generator set from Generac Power Systems Inc. of Waukesha, WI, that Shamrock Farms installed at its new dairy farm in Stanfield, AZ, was easy to install and is economical to operate.
The Gemini Twin Pack is 17-feet long; 5-feet, 3-inches wide; and 9-feet, 3-inches tall (plus an additional 2 feet of height for the fuel tank). It weighs 17,316 pounds empty (i.e., without fuel). The transfer switch weighs 1,300 pounds.
The concrete pad on which the Gemini rests extends an extra foot in each direction beyond the equipment footprint. It sits about 10 feet from the milking parlor.
The twin generator sets and the transfer switch typically are shipped separately to the job site. In most cases, the electrical contractor wants the transfer switch shipped early so he can establish all of the basic utility service connections at the same time.
The generator set requires few connections. The power leads must be connected to the transfer switch, and a single pair of wires must be connected from the transfer switch to the generator set.
A Single Package
"The Gemini comes as a single package," says Dave Bennick, general manager of the farm's electrical contractor, DeLaval Direct Distribution in Chandler, AZ. "It arrived from the factory on a flatbed trailer. A crane hoisted it off. We bolted it to the cement pad and installed the power connections and control wires through an underground conduit between the generators and the transfer switch that connects to the utility service.
"Because we did this as part of new construction, it was easy to install. It took less than three days. To come in later and retrofit it would be more complex and expensive, and could take a week or more."
The control panel inside the Gemini enclosure is an integral part of the package. "We could hook up a computer to the Gemini for more sophisticated operational control, but that capability isn't enabled here," Bennick says.
The Gemini requires normal AC power for the battery charger and for jacket water heaters, which are used to maintain the engines at about 90°F. This helps them start rapidly and assume their load quickly without the need for additional warm-up time.
Costs to Buy and Run
Bennick says the Gemini package cost Shamrock Farms about $95,000, not counting labor for installation. The transfer switch cost another $15,000.
He estimates the wiring involved at $2,000 (1,000 feet of wire at $2 a foot) but warns that wiring may vary considerably from one installation to another. "It could amount to $15,000 or $20,000, depending on where the service is located in comparison to where you can locate the generator, and the length of the run."
Lee Sundquist, project manager at Arizona Generator Technology (Gen-Tech) in Glendale, AZ, the Generac dealer that supplied the Shamrock Farms system, says it will consume about 0.36 pound of fuel per horsepower-hour. Assuming the cost of diesel fuel at $1 per gallon, that translates to $0.08 per kilowatt-hour.
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Maintenance costs for a standby generator depend on how often it is used, the distance to the job site, and the diligence with which the equipment is maintained. "If a company such as Gen-Tech is to maintain the generator sets, the annual cost would be in the range of $500 to $700 per year," Sundquist says. "If the owner does his own maintenance, there will usually be some short cuts due to his lack of training on the specific product."
Sundquist says short-term maintenance at scheduled intervals includes routine oil changes, oil sampling, coolant maintenance, filter changes, turbocharger overhaul, and the labor costs for these procedures. Eventually, the engine will require a major overhaul, for which a reserve fund should be established. Sundquist notes, however, that "in a standby system such as this, a major overhaul would be many decades away."
November-December 2004
From: Two Backup Generators Are Better Than One, Dairy Finds
An Efficient and Cost-Effective Choice
The 750-kW Gemini Twin Pack diesel generator set from Generac Power Systems Inc. of Waukesha, WI, that Shamrock Farms installed at its new dairy farm in Stanfield, AZ, was easy to install and is economical to operate.
The Gemini Twin Pack is 17-feet long; 5-feet, 3-inches wide; and 9-feet, 3-inches tall (plus an additional 2 feet of height for the fuel tank). It weighs 17,316 pounds empty (i.e., without fuel). The transfer switch weighs 1,300 pounds.
The concrete pad on which the Gemini rests extends an extra foot in each direction beyond the equipment footprint. It sits about 10 feet from the milking parlor.
The twin generator sets and the transfer switch typically are shipped separately to the job site. In most cases, the electrical contractor wants the transfer switch shipped early so he can establish all of the basic utility service connections at the same time.
The generator set requires few connections. The power leads must be connected to the transfer switch, and a single pair of wires must be connected from the transfer switch to the generator set.
A Single Package
"The Gemini comes as a single package," says Dave Bennick, general manager of the farm's electrical contractor, DeLaval Direct Distribution in Chandler, AZ. "It arrived from the factory on a flatbed trailer. A crane hoisted it off. We bolted it to the cement pad and installed the power connections and control wires through an underground conduit between the generators and the transfer switch that connects to the utility service.
"Because we did this as part of new construction, it was easy to install. It took less than three days. To come in later and retrofit it would be more complex and expensive, and could take a week or more."
The control panel inside the Gemini enclosure is an integral part of the package. "We could hook up a computer to the Gemini for more sophisticated operational control, but that capability isn't enabled here," Bennick says.
The Gemini requires normal AC power for the battery charger and for jacket water heaters, which are used to maintain the engines at about 90°F. This helps them start rapidly and assume their load quickly without the need for additional warm-up time.
Costs to Buy and Run
Bennick says the Gemini package cost Shamrock Farms about $95,000, not counting labor for installation. The transfer switch cost another $15,000.
He estimates the wiring involved at $2,000 (1,000 feet of wire at $2 a foot) but warns that wiring may vary considerably from one installation to another. "It could amount to $15,000 or $20,000, depending on where the service is located in comparison to where you can locate the generator, and the length of the run."
Lee Sundquist, project manager at Arizona Generator Technology (Gen-Tech) in Glendale, AZ, the Generac dealer that supplied the Shamrock Farms system, says it will consume about 0.36 pound of fuel per horsepower-hour. Assuming the cost of diesel fuel at $1 per gallon, that translates to $0.08 per kilowatt-hour.
Maintenance costs for a standby generator depend on how often it is used, the distance to the job site, and the diligence with which the equipment is maintained. "If a company such as Gen-Tech is to maintain the generator sets, the annual cost would be in the range of $500 to $700 per year," Sundquist says. "If the owner does his own maintenance, there will usually be some short cuts due to his lack of training on the specific product."
Sundquist says short-term maintenance at scheduled intervals includes routine oil changes, oil sampling, coolant maintenance, filter changes, turbocharger overhaul, and the labor costs for these procedures. Eventually, the engine will require a major overhaul, for which a reserve fund should be established. Sundquist notes, however, that "in a standby system such as this, a major overhaul would be many decades away."