20 kW Perkins Diesel Generator

The 20 kW Perkins is the entry point of our lineup and the model most people look at first for a house or a small business. A four-cylinder Perkins 404D-22G diesel running at 1,800 rpm produces 20 kW of prime power and 24 kW standby, with single-phase, three-wire 110/220V output at 60 Hz.

Because the alternator supplies both 110V and 220V, one generator can back up lighting and outlet circuits as well as 220V appliances such as a well pump, water heater or air-conditioning condenser, connected through a transfer switch. Whether 20 kW covers a whole home or just the essential circuits depends on what has to run at the same time.

Diesel fuel and runtime

At full load the spec sheet lists fuel consumption of 224 g/kWh, which works out to roughly 5.3 liters (about 1.4 US gallons) of diesel per hour. With the 50-liter (about 13-gallon) base tank that is around 9 hours at full load, and longer at the partial loads most sites actually draw.

Diesel is stored on site, so the generator keeps running even when other utilities are down. Keep the stored fuel clean and rotate it so it is ready when an outage comes.

Silent enclosure and controls

The set ships in a sound-proof, weather-proof canopy with an industrial silencer, flexible exhaust hose and vibration isolators between the engine, alternator and base frame. A Smartgen HGM6120N controller displays voltage, frequency, engine speed, battery voltage and run hours, and shuts the engine down on low oil pressure, high coolant temperature, over- or under-speed, or after three failed start attempts. The spec sheet lists the set as designed to comply with ISO 9001, CE and EPA.