Inside the enclosure
A compact marine generator on display at METS 2011, Amsterdam. The opened enclosure exposes the engine and its connections.
Photo: S.J. de Waard · CC BY-SA 3.0Diesel generator
buying, clarified
Turn your load list into a clear requirement. Know what to ask, what to compare and what to send.
Build your enquiry Read the buying guide
Start with your task
Each decision leaves you with something useful.
Same duty. Same scope.
Comparable quotations.
Define the requirement
List the essential loads, starting sequence and site conditions before choosing equipment.
See a completed exampleCompare the same scope
Check the duty, conditions and included equipment side by side. Mark every exclusion and unanswered question.
Use the quotation comparisonSend a clearer enquiry
Prepare a short project brief and a field-by-field worksheet. Keep unknowns visible for the supplier to answer.
Prepare your RFQRead the whole specification
A useful enquiry connects the electrical load, the operating duty and the installation. A headline power figure only tells part of the story.
- Load & starting sequenceKeep running demand and starting information separate.
- Duty & reference conditionsAsk for the rating at the proposed site conditions.
- Equipment & acceptanceName the included systems and the records you need.
One requirement, in writing
Illustrative brief · not an equipment selection
- Application
- Factory standby supply
- Electrical system
- 400 V · 50 Hz · three-phase
- Essential running loads
- 57 kW, before starting review
- Largest motor
- 22 kW pump · start method to confirm
- Site & installation
- Outdoor · 40°C · 500 m altitude
- Open question
- Confirm starting performance and site-rated output.
Understand the essentials
All six guidesDiesel generator buying guide
A practical route from your power requirement to a quotation you can actually compare.
kW, kVA & power factor
Understand what the two power figures mean before comparing generator specifications.
Prime or standby?
Why the duty rating matters as much as the headline kVA figure.
Plan your backup loads
Map critical processes, load priorities and restart sequences before choosing equipment.
Standby readiness
A practical way to organise inspections, records and maintenance responsibilities.
Your generator RFQ checklist
Gather the information suppliers need to quote the same requirement.
Diesel power, up close
From the engine inside to the installation around it.
Power for essential processes
A diesel generator at Montreal's wastewater treatment plant. The engine, alternator and overhead exhaust runs show the scale of an indoor installation.
Photo: Jean-Daniel Drapeau-Mc Nicoll; colour edit by Soerfm · CC BY-SA 3.0
Standby power outdoors
An enclosed diesel generator serving a sewer district near Atlanta. Its outdoor setting illustrates why enclosure, access and site conditions belong in the enquiry.
Photo: Gregsedits · CC BY-SA 3.0Check the power figures
Convert kW and kVA using the power factor for the same load condition. Then attach the real load schedule to your enquiry.
Understand the calculationKnow what is behind the guide
Explanations with sources, worked examples with assumptions, and clear limits. No product tests or engineering approvals are claimed.