Commercial Generator and Transfer Switch Installation in Denver
Standby generators and automatic transfer switches, from the pad and feeders through acceptance testing.
The design starts with a list of what stays on. Code-required systems such as egress lighting in certain occupancies carry their own wiring separation and testing rules, while everything else is optional standby the owner chooses, whether that is refrigeration, servers, pumps, or a tenant's process load. Sizing follows that list and follows motor starting inrush and nonlinear loads, not building square footage, since a large compressor starting can be the biggest single event the set ever sees.
Installation pulls in more than the generator. There is a pad and structural support, fuel supply or a tank with containment, exhaust routing with clearance to openings and property lines, enclosure and sound attenuation choices where a local noise ordinance applies, and feeders run to the transfer switch. The automatic transfer switch sits between the normal source and the loads it backs up, senses loss of power, signals the set to start, transfers the load, then returns it once utility power proves stable. Acceptance is a functional test of transfer, retransfer, and operation at rated load, using a load bank when the building's own load is not enough to prove it.
What size generator does a commercial building need?
Size follows the load list, not the square footage. Add the loads that stay on, then account for motor starting inrush, step loading order, and any nonlinear equipment that needs derating. A set sized only on running watts will stumble the first time a large compressor tries to start.
What does an automatic transfer switch do and where is it installed?
It sits between the utility service and the loads being backed up. When it senses loss of normal power it signals the generator to start, waits for stable output, then transfers the load, and it retransfers after utility power has held for a set delay. It can be service-entrance rated at the main or installed downstream feeding a dedicated panel.
What is involved in generator acceptance testing?
After the set is installed, grounded, fueled, and connected, it gets run through a functional test: simulated loss of normal power, start, transfer, operation under load, retransfer, and cooldown. Where building load is too light to prove capacity, a load bank is used, and the results are documented for the inspector.
Based in Golden and on site across the Denver metro, from Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, and Arvada to the foothills.