At a grounding class, someone asked how to determine if a standby generator is required to be grounded as a separately derived system. The key to determining this is to verify the type of transfer equipment installed...

My Inspiration for this column came from a discussion on a Facebook nostalgia group. The question was “Who remembers the Great Northeast Blackout [of 1965]?” I scanned the various posts about where people were and how they...

The digital and renewable power revolutions are changing energy consumption patterns in many ways. Now, the need for uninterrupted power sources (UPS) is expanding across multiple sectors of the economy, driven in large part...

Let’s assume a 120/208-volt (V), three-phase service was installed on a building a few years ago and the new owner of the building needs a standby generator for use during power outages. The electrical contractor installs a...

Generators are commonly installed for buildings or structures requiring emergency systems, legally required standby systems or optional standby power systems. In many designs, the generator is located outside the building or...