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Jeff, I have had one at my off grid home for a little over a year now. I just went out to check: 85.3 hours on this unit, so no chance to wear anything out yet. The unit has performed very well. I had two issues come up, both quite minor: at first the cold starting was slow; a slight bend with a needle-nose pliers on a choke linkage resolved that (it was a service call, covered under warranty). Also, the spin-on oil filter was just loose enough to leak some oil. The unit has a large oil reservoir external to the engine, so this was noticed early and of little consequence. I have it set to operate on manual remote start, with a simple toggle switch next to my inverter. It's simple two-wire start and required nothing but a signal cable to the switch. (I had an extra signal pair previously installed, which I use to monitor the voltage of the starting battery via the secondary voltage function on the TriMetric TM2025 - very slick.) It is set up to use 120V AC to run an onboard battery charger, which I consider a design weakness, as few existing installations have nearby AC power available. The AC is a continuous 8 watt draw. However, Generac has told me that they have no warranty issue with keeping the starting battery charged with a PV panel and small regulator. As I had AC power at the generator connection point, during winter I turned on the circuit every few days; I'll eventually add an old 40W module instead, just haven't gotten a round tuit yet. The standard AC output is 120V, with an optional kit available to output 120/240. Mine charges my 120V Magnum MS4024 at full 114A (it's rated 105A) charging output, while simultaneously running a 1250W electric heating element that heats the WVO (waste vegetable oil) that I then filter to store and run in my diesel Mercedes. Note that I live at 6700', so elevation output drops the 6kW rated output of the unit by 23+% I believe that when I'm doing this I'm running at slightly over 100% of derated output. The engine can pull this for hours with no signs of strain. I have been very well aware of Generac's past reputation on this list, but I have cautiously stuck my neck out, and am doing so again, to say that I think this is a solid unit. Nobody else is making a unit any more that's specifically designed for the runtime and load demands of off grid applications, as all of the major manufacturers are focused on residential standby markets. I have recommended it several times for installations that we've done. We don't sell it, preferring to let a generator specialist handle service and support after the sale. So far no complaints have filtered back. I would encourage you to take this one model off of your "stay away from" list. Allan
Allan Sindelar
[email protected] NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician Founder and Chief Technology Officer Positive Energy, Inc. 3209 Richards Lane (note new address) Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507 505 424-1112 www.positiveenergysolar.com
On 5/7/2012 12:55 PM, Jeff Yago wrote: I have not been a fan of any Generac brand generators, especially their low-cost, highly marketed residential stand-by generators. Although things may have changed, these were very hard to use with a typical inverter's 2-wire remote start relay, most warranties were voided if used in off-grid applications, and their high speed engines just did not last as long as lower speed engines.Last year Generac came out with their smaller EcoGen 6 kW propane-fueled model that they claim was specifically designed for off-grid applications. As I understand it, this is a vertical shaft engine operating at 2600 RPM and belt-drives the generator section. The info also claims a simple 2-wire start/stop (like Kohler) which would be a major improvement, and the output can be 100% at 120 VAC which would be a great match to a smaller single 120VAC inverter off-grid solar system. However, anyone have any actual experience with this model? Does it actually hold up to off-grid type longer operating hours? Warranty claim issues? Do electronics require lots of standby power or a separate source to keep from discharging starter battery? (This was a complaint I had with Kohler's model changes which sucked down power in standby mode due to the added electronic monitoring panel not on earlier models.) Any maintenance issues with belt drive? Do I finally take Generac off my "stay away from" list? Thanks, Jeff Yago DTI Solar Inc. _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: [email protected] Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org |
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