It is a device, portable or fixed, to provide a current source used in the absence of power or connection. It will allow you to generate electricity independently, wherever you are. It is necessary, first, to identify their needs in order to choose the device proper.
Indeed, each site requires a more or less specific device, an unsuitable generator will wear out more quickly and will present recurring breakdowns and malfunctions.
When to use an electric generator?
- Site lighting
- Supplying life bases
- Event installations (sound, lighting)
- Construction
- Site tools
- Emergency power supply for signs
- The power of the generator
When buying your machine, the first criterion that you must take into account is that relating to the power required to supply your equipment on the site.
It is therefore advisable to measure the maximum capacity of the tools to be connected and to add them. The value obtained will be multiplied by 1.20 because the generator set must be used at 80% of its maximum power to ensure a longer life.
You will then obtain the necessary wattage, the unit of the generating sets being expressed in Kilowatt or KiloVoltampere.
To avoid having to convert these units and to simplify the calculations, it is assumed that 1 kW is approximately equal to 1 kVa.
Petrol, diesel or gas?
Once the required power has been determined, the type of fuel supplied to the electric generator must be taken into account. Indeed, it differs according to the use that we can have of the device. However, each type of fuel has its advantages and disadvantages.
The gasoline generator
Its electric power is between 1.5 and 6 Kilowatt. It is ideal for occasional use, especially since it is less noisy and bulky than diesel. In addition, it is easy to transport. However, fuel can only be stored for 12 months and the law limits its storage to 50 liters because it is highly flammable.
The diesel generator set
It offers a wide choice of power (up to several thousand KiloVoltampere), making its use suitable for intensive and regular use. However, the level of noise pollution and the weight of the device are high.
The gas generator
Less noisy, easier to use and more economical than gasoline or diesel generators, the gas one achieves a power of 12.8 kW. It is suitable for frequent and prolonged use and is ideal for professional use.
In addition, by using natural gas, biogas or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), which are environmentally friendly, they provide a continuous electricity supply which has 2 main and significant advantages: it allows a significant reduction in emissions of CO, CO2 and particles into the atmosphere but also a reduction in noise. The only drawback that it presents is linked to the difficulties of gas supply.
Rental of soundproof generators
The specialty of this machine is that the engine is often covered with a “soft top” or “soundproof awning”, which reduces engine noise by around 15 dB which is not negligible. It can be diesel, gas or gasoline, but the one that will be the quietest is the gas one as explained previously with a low engine speed (low engine revolutions / minute). These three points contribute to the discretion of this device.
