October 19, 2018 – Generac Power Systems’ newly cUL-approved, service-rated automatic transfer switch is now available to serve as the ‘nerve centre’ for residential standby generators in the Canadian marketplace.

By transferring the source of power during an outage from the utility to the generator—and back again when power has been restored—the switch directs the entire system without any interaction needed from the homeowner. Available in 100-A and 200-A versions, both of which can be mounted indoors or outdoors, the switch is sized to work with whole-house standby generators.

Additionally, integrated load shedding functionality monitors the home’s consumption of generator power. If electrical demand exceeds the generator’s capacity, this feature will automatically disconnect the most power-hungry loads—such as air conditioning—until the generator can support bringing them back online. This allows users to back up their whole house with a smaller generator, as the transfer switch can manage up to four individual heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) loads without any extra hardware.

Meanwhile, to facilitate faster installation and easier maintenance for electrical contractors, the unit’s ‘dead front’—which separates the transfer mechanisms from the incoming live utility load—provides multiple entry points. And with a lockable breaker and top panel, the switch can be physically locked out during maintenance, protecting service technicians against electrical shock and injury.