New Jersey sees some of the worst power outages on the East Coast — from nor'easters and hurricanes to summer heat events that stress the grid. A whole-home standby generator is the only solution that turns on automatically, runs everything in your house, and needs no manual intervention. Here's what you need to know.
How Standby Generators Work
A standby generator is permanently installed outside your home (like an AC unit), connected to your natural gas or propane supply, and wired to your electrical panel through an automatic transfer switch (ATS). When utility power drops, the ATS detects the outage within seconds, starts the generator, and transfers your home to generator power — automatically, even if you're not home. When utility power returns, it switches back and shuts the generator off.
Whole-Home vs. Essential-Circuit Coverage
You can choose to power your entire home (requires a larger generator) or just the essential circuits — HVAC, refrigerator, well pump, medical equipment, and a few outlets. Essential-circuit setups are significantly less expensive and may be all you need.
Sizing: How Big Do You Need?
Generator sizing is based on your home's electrical load. A 10kW generator covers most essential circuits in an average NJ home. A 20kW+ unit covers everything including central A/C. We do a load calculation before recommending a size — don't let anyone quote you a generator without doing this first.
The Installation Process
Installation involves a concrete or composite pad, gas line connection (coordinated with your gas utility), the transfer switch wired to your panel, and the generator itself. In NJ, permits are required and the installation must pass inspection. We handle all of it — permits, utility coordination, installation, and inspection.
Interested in never losing power again? Schedule a free consultation and we'll walk you through the right setup for your home.