In short. Start-up and handover is the step between a commissioned generator and a site that can actually run it. It covers the first supervised starts, a walk-through of the installed controller and transfer arrangement, a briefing on alarms and shutdowns, the hand-over of manuals, drawings and settings, and a signed record of what is complete and what is still open. A generator that has been started once is not the same as a generator the operator understands.
Why handover is a separate activity from commissioning
Commissioning proves that the installed system does what the design says. Handover transfers that proven system to the people who will live with it. The two are often compressed into the same afternoon, and that is where problems begin. The commissioning engineer knows why the AMF timer is set to ten seconds and what the yellow lamp means. The electrician on night shift three weeks later knows none of it unless somebody told him and wrote it down.
On standby sets in Hyderabad the gap is wider than on prime-power plant, because the operator may not touch the generator for weeks between DISCOM outages. Handover has to work for someone who meets the machine rarely, during a power failure, usually at night. The commissioning package feeds the handover, but the handover is written for a different reader.
The first supervised starts
We do not consider a handover complete until the site operator has started, loaded and stopped the generator with his own hands while a service engineer watches. A typical sequence on an AMF-controlled set runs as follows.
- A manual start from the controller, with the operator reading oil pressure, coolant temperature, battery voltage, output voltage and frequency aloud from the screen.
- A manual close of the generator breaker on to site load, or on to a load bank where the site cannot yet be interrupted, followed by a check of current on all three phases.
- A simulated mains failure in auto mode, so the operator sees start delay, crank, warm-up and transfer happen without anyone touching the panel, then retransfer and cool-down when mains returns.
- A deliberate stop in auto mode and a reset of the controller, so the operator learns that a set left in stop or manual will not respond to the next outage.
The last point causes more failed standby events in our experience than any mechanical fault. The final action of every handover is to confirm the controller is in auto and the battery charger is on.
What the operator must be told about alarms
A generator controller distinguishes between a warning, a controlled shutdown and an emergency stop, and the correct response differs for each. A warning, such as low fuel, means the set keeps running and someone must act before it becomes a shutdown. A controlled shutdown, such as low oil pressure, means the controller has already stopped the engine to protect it and the operator must not simply reset and restart. An emergency stop is a human action and its cause must be understood before the button is released.
| Indication | What the controller does | What the operator should do |
|---|---|---|
| Low fuel level warning | Keeps running, lights warning | Arrange diesel; check day-tank transfer pump if fitted |
| High coolant temperature warning | Keeps running | Reduce load if possible, check radiator airflow and louvres, call for service if it rises further |
| Low oil pressure shutdown | Stops engine, locks out | Do not reset and restart; check oil level, report the alarm |
| Overspeed or underspeed shutdown | Stops engine, locks out | Report immediately; a governor or fuel fault is likely |
| Fail to start | Stops cranking after set attempts | Check battery voltage and fuel, then report |
| Mains failure, no generator start | Nothing, if not in auto | Check mode selector first, then battery and fuel |
The alarm list handed over should be the one configured in the actual controller, not a generic sheet, because controller families use different names and lock-out behaviour. The handover should also state what the operator is not permitted to do: bypass a safety device, alter a protection setting, override a shutdown or work live inside the panel. Those items belong to a service visit, described under controller diagnostics.
Documents that must change hands
A pile of brochures is not documentation. The handover file should match the specific engine, alternator, controller and panel installed, with revision numbers, and it should sit in a known place on site, usually the generator room with a copy held by the facility manager.
Minimum handover file
- Engine and alternator manuals for the build fitted, with serial numbers written on the cover.
- Controller manual and a printed settings sheet listing timers, crank attempts, voltage and frequency windows and protection thresholds as configured.
- As-installed single-line diagram, panel wiring drawing and cable schedule, marked up with any site changes.
- Commissioning test record covering insulation resistance, earth resistance, phase sequence, load readings and transfer timings.
- CPCB IV+ type-approval reference for new sets, with any DISCOM or electrical inspectorate paperwork.
- Maintenance schedule for the first year, with the first service date entered.
- A snag list of outstanding items, each with an owner and a target date.
The maintenance schedule links directly to the preventive maintenance plan. If an annual contract is being agreed, the handover date is the natural start date, and the generator AMC scope can be confirmed on the same visit.
Closing the handover with a record
The record is short but it matters. It states when operating responsibility passed to the site, who was trained, the hour-meter reading, the fuel level, the position of every selector and breaker when the engineer left, and the deferred items. If a full-load transfer was not possible because the plant could not be interrupted, the record says so and proposes a date. That protects both parties far better than an unqualified signature.
We also recommend a timestamped photograph of the controller screen in auto mode attached to the record. When a question arises months later about whether the set was left ready, that photograph settles it. Later faults can then be traced through the troubleshooting guide from a known starting condition.
Related photographs and videos
Common mistakes
- Leaving the controller in manual or stop after the demonstration, so the next real outage finds a silent generator and the first call is a complaint about a machine that was never asked to start.
- Training only the person who happened to be present, so the knowledge leaves with the next shift change.
- Handing over generic manuals for the wrong engine variant, which sends the site’s maintenance team to the wrong oil grade, filter numbers and valve clearance figures.
- Signing off without a snag list, which turns every open item into an argument about scope instead of a scheduled task.
- Skipping the simulated mains failure because the site was busy, which leaves the AMF logic, the one function the customer actually bought, unproven in front of the operator.
What to send us
If you want a handover carried out or repeated on an existing set, send the generator make and rating, photographs of the engine and alternator nameplates and the controller front, the commissioning report if one exists, and the names and roles of the people who will operate the machine. Tell us whether the plant can be interrupted for a transfer test and when. Use the service and AMC enquiry form and we will propose a visit plan.
Questions engineers ask
How long does a generator handover take?
For a single AMF-controlled standby set, allow two to three hours after commissioning is complete. That covers supervised starts, a simulated mains failure, the alarm briefing and the document walk-through. Synchronised multi-set plants need half a day or more because the sequences are longer.
Who should attend the handover from the customer’s side?
At minimum the person who will respond to a night-time power failure and the person responsible for maintenance. In a factory that is the shift electrician and the facility manager. If security staff are expected to report generator faults, one of their supervisors should also attend.
Can handover be done without a load test?
It can be done, but it should be recorded as incomplete. A set that has only run off load has not demonstrated voltage and frequency behaviour under step load, cooling performance or transfer under real current. Where the plant cannot be interrupted, a load bank can be brought in, or the test can be scheduled for a planned shutdown and listed as a deferred item.
What if the original installer never did a handover?
This is common with older sets across Telangana. A retrospective handover is possible: a service engineer records the nameplates, reads out the controller configuration, tests the AMF sequence, reconstructs a settings sheet and briefs the current staff. It is usually combined with a general inspection so that defects found become part of the same report.
Technical content reviewed by Srinivas Reddy, Managing Partner, Reddy Generators. Last updated 19 October 2026.