[eschaider]

You're spot on with your observations olddog. The particular Honeywell unit I had referenced provides the sort of 'special' operational benefits you were speaking to. Because the engine is a 5.4L V8 they can run at a relatively low engine speed which is good for noise abatement but also fuel consumption and engine life.

The particular generator I tagged provides a regulated supply of power similar to the public utilities power grid which is essential for computers, modems, routers etc. Your point about the variability of some standby power generators is particularly important if you are planing to power any electronics. You not only risk unpredictable operation but without something like a standby UPS to filter the power you can fry the electronics if a power spike is sufficiently robust.

Again your observations about diesel being less expensive are spot on. The ability to have a generator that does not require filling a diesel fuel tank along with the always ready and essentially uninterruptible operation was the primary rationale behind my natural gas selection for the fuel.

I suppose there are also some benefits from not having the smell of a diesel and the exhaust soot after operation. The flip side of the coin (with respect to availability) is when the natural gas delivery infrastructure is damaged. So far, in my life, that has only happened once and of course it was in California —fortunately near San Francisco where the underground piping is the oldest and farthest from me.

Lots of considerations if someone decides to pony up for one of these things. The individual person's mix of needs, wants, price sensibility along with frequency and severity of outage will typically drive the potential buyer to a wide variety of choices for their installation.


Ed