Commercial Generator Buyer's Guide

We’ll never forget 9/11.

But, do you remember 9/12 and 9/13?

Remember the eerie feeling of looking into bright blue skies and not seeing a single airplane?

The terrorists didn’t just bring down a few passenger planes. They bankrupted the airline industry.

Now, imagine if your cash register stopped ringing for two days because of a prolonged power outage.

Bankruptcy may be extreme, but 48 hours can be the difference between a profitable and unprofitable business.

Aside from your electric bill, your operating expenses don’t stop because your meter stopped. Your employees still expect their paychecks. Your bankers still demand their mortgage payment.

In the past, it was probably more cost effective to simply weather the power outage. Back then, standby generators weren't cheap.

Now, businesses are extremely reliant on electricity, and standby generators are more affordable than ever before. They can often pay for themselves in just a single power outage.

A commercial standby generator will keep the revenue flowing, the customers happy and the employees safe during a power disruption.

Select a Style
You have a business to run. You really don’t want your employees tinkering with a portable generator in the dark. Get a standby generator instead.

Standby generators automatically start during a power outage and run indefinitely until power is restored.

Ideally, you should consider getting one that runs off natural gas instead of diesel fuel. Why?

In many commercial zones, on-site storage of diesel fuel is strictly regulated because it carries the potential for spills and leaks. Plus, it must be stored in expensive double-walled tanks which need to be constantly refilled.

Natural gas, however, emits far fewer exhaust emissions and is delivered reliably and continuously underground. Even during major catastrophic events, the natural gas supply has historically been remarkably reliable.

Select a Voltage
Commercial-grade generators are custom built based on your needs, so it’s important to select the right voltage.

The utility power into your house is “single-phase.” It powers all of your 120/240 volt household electronics and appliances.

The utility power into your business is typically “three-phase,” which supports a larger electrical demand.

How do you tell? Take a look at your main electrical panel.

For many facilities, the electricity enters a building at 120/208 or 277/480 volts into the first electrical panel.

A step-down transformer can convert the incoming utility voltage into 120/240 or 120/208 volts. A second electrical panel will distribute the electricity throughout the office area.

Your best bet is to purchase a generator that matches the incoming utility voltage. This way, you can restore power to both electrical panels.