The $1 million question.
Actually, it is a simple question that can have multiple answers. Still, it is complicated to give a single and universal value to things that can be very different from each other, not only in quality but also in technical characteristics and benefits.
Having said that, I imagine that all those who come to this article will do so by looking for Dollar or Euro values. In other words, "prices" useful to have a unit of comparison with what they are buying and understand if they are making a correct purchase or they are taking something too expensive, so I think it is appropriate to start by mentioning some absolute values that can be useful in the analysis of the price of a genset.
I will preface this by saying that having read these values and concluding that there are the prices to look for would be crazy.
Made In...?
Every day we are accustomed to buying different types of products made in various parts of the world, and we are now aware that a product with high technological content can be built in various parts of the world without losing quality and features.
An iPhone, designed in the USA and partly or totally made in Asia, will not lose its value just because it has not been produced by American hands. Moreover, if we add to this the fact that by now, many productions are automated or robotized, the concept is undoubtedly even clearer and more shareable.
What can we say, however, if we buy a product made in Asia for which the entire purchasing experience and any post-sales is managed directly in Asia or in any other part of the world far away from us? Pay attention that this is not a logistic limitation but a communication one. I can produce in Italy and sell in the USA as long as I am easily reachable by my customers from all points of view.
(Example: in Orefice Generators, we speak 5 languages besides Italian).
So, the price of the generator depends on where it was produced and how the manufacturer is present in the market.
Without the costs of managing a service network or support through a Dealer, the price will logically be lower, but so will the service.
"I've been offered a Generator Set of the same power at a lower price."
Do you really think someone is willing to give away or discount something?
The Price of a Generator depends on its Setup
Have you ever flown over Rome?
You can fly to Rome with different carriers, Ita, the former Alitalia, Volotea, or Ryanair, just to name a few.
Are there any differences between these airlines? They all lead to Rome effectively, but not all of them solve the passengers' problems. On the contrary, they often create some discomfort because of the destination airport or the type of flight.
The seemingly lower price often hides drawbacks that manifest themselves when it is too late—struggling for a bag in the overhead compartment, choice of seat, and so on.
Many have become experts in untangling the various offers of low-cost flights or best fares. Others instead let themselves be enchanted.
If we limit ourselves to classify Generating Sets as equipment capable of producing electrical energy, we risk making a big and banal mistake.
The Generating Set usually has the purpose of preventing or solving a problem. A wrongly selected Generating Set will end up creating further problems.
Here are some examples:
Given that the tendency of many genset manufacturers is to supply the bare Generating Set and then charge the price when the job is done, below is a guideline to understand the value of the equipment.
Covered or Soundproofed
The value varies according to the size of the generator.
As an indication, a generator mounted inside a simple metal cover is worth at least 6% less than a Generator equipped with a soundproof system.
In the case of ultra-silenced generators, the difference can be as much as 30% of the total price.
Control Panel
This value reflects on the price between 90 € - 750 €.
The Control Panel can be a simple device capable of starting and stopping the Generating Set. It can also provide useful functions such as Stand By, with automatic start in case of power failure. The control panel can also act as a network analyzer, constantly monitoring the network values and starting up in the presence of a network anomaly such as low voltage, phase failure, etc.
Motor and Circulator Preheating
From 120 € to 500 €
An Automatic Generating Set, usually also in function of the environment in which it will be installed, can have a pre-heating of the motor, that is, a device that keeps the motor warm when it is off.
The heater can also be equipped with a circulator, which is indispensable on large diesel engines to ensure the heating of a large quantity of water.
Without the preheater, the engine may not start cold.
General switch
This value is highly variable depending on the current and reliability of the brand.
It's hard to imagine how there are still some manufacturers that supply generators without a general switch. Unfortunately, this still happens, to the detriment of safety and reliability.
Number of doors
A Generating Set can have one, two, three or 4 doors. (even 6 in some cases)
The number of doors affects the accessibility of the generator during maintenance. This aspect should not be underestimated as a maintenance technician really evaluates the accessibility of the generating set before intervening. Therefore, in the long run, the 2 fewer doors are paid for in the form of maintenance costs.
Diesel engine and RPM regulation
This value is between 450€ and 1800€ for standard electronic speed controllers.
The value varies for electronic engines with ECU.
In this article, we do not want to go into the quality of every single aspect that can or must be considered, but we want to make a brief overview of the main ones:
Sheet metal finish. The sheets that make up the frame of the generator can be obtained from black sheet metal, then painted or galvanized and powder coated. Galvanized and painted sheets have double protection against atmospheric agents.
Tank capacity. A low-capacity tank cannot guarantee operation for long periods of time. A high-capacity tank can be costly if it involves modification of the mainframe.
Electrical and control panel. If it is placed inside, it can not only certainly represent a great technical advantage but also an increase in the cost of the generator.
Leakage containment tank. This is a burden for installation, but sometimes it can be economically advantageous to have the collection tank installed directly in the generator.
Noise level of the genset, when silence has a price!
An aspect often neglected but also the most important is the generator noise.
It is simple: a Noisy Generating Set costs less.
A Silent Generating Set always costs a bit more.
The acoustic performance is now increasingly appreciated, and in order to obtain a decent performance, we use advanced technologies and materials. Orefice Generators is specialized in the design and production of Silent Generating Sets and has introduced in the international market generating sets with increasingly better acoustic performance: the Silengen.