This was an unusual standby generator installation in Cape Coral. The home is an older one with a CTAP meter, which is not a standard meter: it meters usage through CTAPs located in the equipment cabinet. It also lacks a typical single-meter setup: it has three separate service feeds coming from the utility pole, and the service lines were too short to reach the new transfer switches.

  • Location: Cape Coral, Florida
  • Service: Generac standby generator installation
  • Equipment: three 200-amp Generac automatic transfer switches, wireway, 24 by 24 inch splice box, Generac smart modules

The problem: three feeds, short service lines

An automatic transfer switch has to sit between the utility service and the panel it protects. With three services there are three panels to cover, so the home needed three 200-amp Generac automatic transfer switches, one for each service. The service lines could not reach them as installed, so we sought special permission from LCEC and worked with the City of Cape Coral inspectors to agree on a way to extend them.

How we solved it

  • Extended the three service lines inside a large 24 by 24 inch box using Polaris taps.
  • Used a wireway to feed each service into its own transfer switch, so the three services stay separate.
  • Mounted the generator on a cantilever stand, because the house had no other room for it.
  • Added an e-stop at the meter location.
  • Installed a Generac smart module at each air-conditioner condenser to shed all of the home’s air-conditioning load while it runs on the generator.

The conductors in that box are the utility’s service conductors, so the box is normally locked and protected as the utility requires. In the photos it is open only to show how neat the work is inside. The green handhole beside the DANGER 240 VOLTS pedestal is the utility’s own equipment, not ours.

What load shedding means

A smart module on an air conditioner lets the generator system switch that unit off when needed so the generator is not overloaded. With a module on every air conditioner in the home, all of the cooling load can be shed while the house runs on generator power.

Planning a generator for an unusual home?

Older Cape Coral homes do not always have the standard meter-and-panel layout, and the right transfer switch setup depends on what is actually on the wall. Read about generator installation, then tell us about your home or call (239) 880-9473.