The complexities of today’s commercial or industrial facility, with their equipment environment of linear and nonlinear loads, places a whole new light on sizing engine-generator sets. They can supply power to a very wide range of facilities - from police stations, firehouses, and radio and TV stations to apartment buildings, hotels, and hospitals. As such, engine-generators can be seen functioning in a wide variety of ways - from providing standby and emergency power to "backing-up" the local utility during peak power demand periods.

Many loads demand a better quality of supplied power, while at the same time, some loads are corrupting power with harmonics, surges, voltage dips, and other power quality problems. As a result, engine generator selection and sizing must be done with greater care than ever before.

To help you in selecting the right size unit, many engine-generator manufacturers provide software-sizing tools. But, these tools may not tell you everything you need know, such as how load power quality needs, special load needs, and differences in makes of the same size of engine-generator sets affect sizing. By using software for the repetitious and difficult computations, the facts and hints in this podcast, and good judgment, you can make better sizing decisions for on-site power system equipment.