Reno, load banking would not be an issue with the many NG and Propane units out there now, but definately would for diesel. (Due to wet-stacking of the exaust) Otherwise excersizing is just to keep the battery charged and the oil moving on top of a good waste of fuel.
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Bob and Joe, I was looking at that proposal for 2008 I guess... It doesn't sound totaly unreasonable IMO
702.5 Capacity and Rating.
(A) Available Short Circuit Current. Optional standby system equipment shall be suitable for the maximum available fault short-circuit current at its terminals.
(B) System Capacity. The calculations of load on the standby source shall be made in accordance with Article 220 of by another method that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.
(1) Manual Transfer Equipment. Where manual transfer equipment is used an optional standby system shall have adequate capacity and rating for the supply of all equipment intended to be operated at one time. The user of the optional standby system shall be permitted to select the load connected to the system.
(2) Automatic Transfer Equipment. Where automatic transfer equipment is used, an optional standby system comply with a or b.
(a) Full Load. The standby source shall be capable of supplying the full load that is transferred by the automatic transfer equipment.
(b) Load Management. Where a system is employed that will automatically manage the connected load, the standby source shall have a capacity sufficient to supply the maximum load that will be connected by the load management system.
Sounds more common sense than the current wording to me. Having worked on generators a lot in the past, I'll tell you that many of the safety devices are not immune to failure. And as we all know that breakers are the not the end all beat all of over-current protection. Many generators are equiped with the lowest bidder for breakers if at all, who knows maybe FPE or the like is that low bid? Why not be able to handle the load it is given? 'Cause none of us is going to camp out next to the panel to see what the capacity is for it when it turns on, and I don't think our customers are edjucated enough to do that either if they are even home or awake when it happens. Lets face it, we cant even get them to not over-lamp fixtures when they change bulbs.... Here in CA the black-outs seem to happen in peak use times in the summer, when the AC units are going, and usually at dusk. Several million people going home from work turning on the lights and AC... Then the under-sized neighborhood transformer fails. So in those situations one could easily expect full load when the ATS kicks over. What seems to be an over-sized unit will be getting the locked rotor amperage of at least an AC unit if not two on many of the homes these would be installed in.
[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 11-13-2006).]
