In short. Reddy Generators works through the same sequence on every job: understand why power is needed, assess the load and site, engineer the rating and supporting systems, verify the data, then supply, install, commission and maintain. The scope varies from a single rental set to a synchronised plant, but each stage removes a specific uncertainty before money or equipment is committed, and the customer sees what was assumed at every step.
Why a fixed sequence matters
Generator problems found during commissioning are expensive; problems found during a real outage are worse. Almost all of them can be traced to a step that was skipped: the load was never measured, the motor starting was never checked, the transfer logic was never tested on load. A consistent sequence makes skipped steps visible. It also lets a customer see where their job stands and what information is still missing.
Stage one: understand and assess
Understand the purpose
We start with three questions. What needs power? Why must it continue? What happens if it stops for a second, a minute or an hour? A cold store, a dialysis unit and a builder’s tower crane all need generators, for very different reasons, and those reasons drive everything that follows.
Assess the load and site
We then gather facts: connected and running loads, the largest motors and how they start, UPS and variable-speed drive loads, voltage, phase and frequency, expected hours of operation, and site conditions such as ambient temperature, altitude, space, ventilation and access. For larger jobs this becomes a formal Load Study and Generator Site Survey.
Stage two: engineer and select
With the facts in hand, the engineering work covers steady-state demand, transient performance during motor starting and load steps, power factor, the order in which loads are connected, derating for heat or altitude, redundancy, controls and fuel autonomy.
Required kVA = (Prun / PF) × (1 + m) / d
Here Prun is the simultaneous running load in kW, PF is the load power factor, m is the design margin for growth and unknowns, and d is the derating factor for ambient temperature or altitude from the manufacturer’s data.
(illustrative) A site with 160 kW running load at 0.8 PF, a 20 percent margin and a derating factor of 0.95 for a hot plant room gives (160 / 0.8) × 1.2 / 0.95, which is about 253 kVA. A 250 kVA set would be marginal on paper, so the next standard size up would be checked, and the largest motor start would then be verified against that set’s transient data before the choice is fixed.
The output of this stage is an architecture: a single set, several sets in parallel, standby or prime duty, rental or purchase. Then the supporting systems are defined: controller, AMF or ATS panel, synchronising equipment where needed, breakers and protection, cables, fuel storage, ventilation, exhaust and earthing.
Stage three: verify, deliver and commission
Before anything is ordered or dispatched we verify the model data against the current manufacturer information, confirm CPCB IV+ compliance for new sets in the applicable range, check that the site interfaces work, and list the assumptions that remain. Permanent sales and rental deployments then follow different logistics, but both end on site.
Where installation is in scope, the set is positioned, connected, inspected, configured, tested and documented. Testing proves what it is meant to prove: a no-load run proves the set starts; a load test proves it carries the load; a mains-fail simulation proves the AMF or ATS transfers and retransfers correctly. Our checklist is in Generator Commissioning Checklist.
| Stage | Key output | Uncertainty removed |
|---|---|---|
| Understand | Purpose and outage consequence | Why the set is needed |
| Assess | Load list, site data | What it must carry and where |
| Engineer and select | Rating, architecture, supporting systems | Whether it will perform |
| Verify | Confirmed data and assumption list | Whether the data is current and true |
| Deliver and commission | Installed, tested system and records | Whether it works on this site |
| Operate and maintain | Service plan, test records | Whether it will keep working |
Stage four: operate, maintain and improve
Reliability depends on what happens after handover. Standby sets in particular fail from neglect: flat batteries, water in the fuel, stuck injectors, perished hoses. A maintenance plan under an AMC keeps those risks in check. When performance does deteriorate, we follow a diagnostic chain of symptom, measurement, diagnosis, intervention and verification, so that the repair addresses the cause and not only the alarm. See Preventive Maintenance and Capability & Support Model for the services involved.
Common mistakes
- Jumping from connected load straight to a kVA figure, which usually oversizes the set and wastes capital and fuel.
- Selecting the set before checking the largest motor start, which can leave a set that trips or stalls every time that motor starts.
- Treating commissioning as a no-load run, which proves nothing about the set’s ability to carry the facility or transfer correctly.
- Ending the relationship at handover, which leaves a standby set untested until the day it is needed.
What to send us
To start the sequence, send the site location, a load list or DB panel readings, the loads that must stay on, any large motors with their starting method, and photos of the proposed generator location and existing panels. If you already have a set, include its nameplate photo and hours. Submit through the Application Engineering Enquiry and we will tell you which information is still missing.
Questions engineers ask
Do small jobs go through the same stages?
Yes, in proportion. For a 15 kVA set in a clinic the stages may take a single conversation and a site photo. For a multi-set plant they become formal studies and documents, but the logic is the same.
What margin do you normally add when sizing a standby generator?
A margin of around 15 to 25 percent over the verified running load is common for standby duty, adjusted for known future load and site derating. The margin is never a substitute for checking motor starting and UPS behaviour.
Is a load-bank test part of commissioning?
Where the real load cannot be applied safely or fully on commissioning day, a load-bank test is the reliable way to prove the set at rated output. Whether it is included is agreed in the scope.
Can you take over a project another supplier started?
Yes. We would begin with the verify stage, checking the installed equipment and existing documents against the load and site, before continuing with commissioning or maintenance.
Technical content reviewed by Srinivas Reddy, Managing Partner, Reddy Generators. Last updated 19 October 2026.