Simple Paralleling PowerHour Q&A Session

1. from Earnest Glaser to Host (privately):

Rich I just had a conversation with an Electrical Contractor who installed an MPS system at a Kaiser
Hospital. The entire system locked out when one of the paralleling contactors failed to operate properly.
This confirms what we thought about the older systems. I have a new Generac spec that calls out that
there shall be no single point of failure. Wonder how the have solved the problem. The fact that the
entire system locks out when one contactor fails supports the suspicion that they are using exciter or
dead bus paralleling. That is the primary drawback of that technology: if any genset fails to come on line
the whole system is disabled. Again, this is a single point of failure. Another drawback of exciter
paralleling is if a genset shuts down after the system is already on line that genset can not be brought
back on line again without shutting the whole system down. For more info on exciter paralleling see the
T-016 Paralleling Applications Manual.

If their spec does call out that there are no single points of failure I would challenge them on that. If the
PMSC fails will gensets start on a utility fail? Will gensets close to the dead bus? If one genset fails to
start or close to the bus will the remaining gensets come on line and pick up the load? Ask to see a
sequence of ops.

2. from Donald Windmiller to Host (privately):

Hello Rich! I don't see any paralleling equipment in the first drawing, for the contractor to provide. That
is correct. Generac relies on the contractor to provide all paralleling equipment.

3. Justin Niehaus
If the Generac Master fails could someone manually start and parallel at the generators? Generac’s
documentation is unclear on this. This is a good point to bring up with consultants.

4. Justin Niehaus
What is the smallest Generac that will parallel?
On their website the smallest genset they show in a paralleling system is 150 kW however, as Earnest
mentions below they have paralleled sets as small as 60 kW.

5. from Earnest Glaser to Host (privately):

I have seen two 60kW propane gensets paralleled together for a mountain lodge

6. from Earnest Glaser to Host (privately):

I do not agree with slide 15 comments on the selective coordination. I have beem working with
inspectors and engineers to understand that the selective coordination starts where the circuit is
originated. In paralleling systems the source of the circuit is the feeder breaker in the paralleling gear.
There can me multiple small genset breakers feeding the common bus with one large feeder breaker,
which is not going to coordinate.
As a practical matter a genset mounted breaker that does not coordinate with a downstream breaker
will make the system less reliable as a generator set may be taken off line due to a fault on a non-critical
load, leaving insufficient capacity to serve critical loads. This is a case where a genset with AmpSentry
gives us an advantage.

7. Earnest Glaser
I have also found out this month that Generac has contracted an Electrical Contractor in our area to be
the service center for the electrical components (controls, ATS and MPS). Not the local dealer.
Will the electrical contractor be able to service the engine? This is where our Power of One concept
gives us an advantage. The technical capability of Generac’s service network is uneven. They have
capable people in some regions but not in all regions. We have a stronger, more uniform channel
capable of servicing the entire system.

8. Tony Pupa
Our start circuits on a 3320 do come from that device. Not sure we will start gensets if that device has a
failure as was the case with prior systems.
You are correct. The ATS start signal is not a pass through on the DMC 1000 today. The Systems group
has a VPC project that will make that change so that if the MCM 3320 control fails the start signal from
the ATS will go directly to the genset so the 3320 board will not be a single point of failure.

I would like to re-iterate that with our Simply Paralleling product the start signals from the ATS go
directly to all of the gensets. There is no master control creating a single point of failure in the start
circuit as there is with the Generac MPS system.