Generator Systems

Adding a wind turbine or PV array to charge the battery will further reduce engine use. The generator can then become a back-up for times of unfavourable weather and to meet peak load requirements.

A range of combined sine wave inverter/battery chargers are available which include diesel generator controllers, providing the ideal add-on for genset users. They automatically control the operation of the generator and select the generator or inverter as power source depending upon loads required or state of charge of the battery. When the generator is running the unit operates as a battery charger to top up the battery store. During transfer units synchronise with the generator and so there is no break in supply.

Extensive user programmable automatic generator start options are available on some models which can allow generator start to be triggered by low battery voltage; high load or time of day, - quiet times can be programmed when the generator is not allowed to start.

With some inverter/chargers, when charging from a generator if loads increase beyond generator rating the unit switches back to inverter mode and draws power from the batteries to support the generator. This can enable a smaller genset to start & run larger loads, effectively increasing peak load capacity. It can even mean not buying a bigger generator!