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Northshore Power Systems Donates Generator to UWM Solar Decathlon Team

MILWAUKEE, WI - Northshore Power Systems, the exclusive licensee of Honeywell Generators, donated a portable generator to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for use in its Meltwater House, the school’s entry in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. The Solar Decathlon features 20 teams from colleges across the country building a house which represents the best blend of design aesthetics, modern conveniences, maximum energy products, and optimal efficiency.

Dorrance Noonan, Northshore Power Systems CEO, is an alumnus of the UWM’s College of Letters and Science, and after learning about the project, made the generator donation.

“We felt our home portable generator, the HW7500EL with electric start, is a good fit for the project because it is our most powerful generator that provides backup power for your home and it meets the strict emission standards of CARB – the California Air Resources Board,” Noonan said.

That dovetails with the objectives of the Solar Decathlon, which promotes energy efficiency, renewable energies, and green building technologies.

“This year the competition is using 'grid-connected' photovoltaic panels for the houses, which sends power into the utility grid during daylight hours,” explained Greg Thompson, assistant professor at UWM and a LEED-accredited professional. “If there is a grid failure, a storm, tree falling, or other damage that causes a power outage, the photovoltaic array needs to be shut down to prevent injury to the utility linemen fixing the grid. In a building such as ours, this would mean that there would be no power available until the grid is repaired. Therefore having a back-up source of power available is important, and a small generator that is ready for on-demand power is one of the best solutions.”

When the UWM Meltwater house is completed, it will travel to Washington, D.C., where it will be erected on the National Mall and will be open to the public for tours Oct. 9-13 and Oct. 15-18. The Honeywell generator also will be used during the initial set-up for the project as the photovoltaics won’t be up and running.

 The HW7500EL provides 7500 watts of power and can run seven hours on a tank of gas (6.5) gallons and can power as many as 12 appliances at the same time. It is powered by a Honeywell Big-Bore 420cc OHV engine, designed for power and durability with oversized muffler for quiet operation.

Of special note, we chose to donate our HW7500EL unit since it meets stricter California emissions. We felt this would better compliment the goal of a home such as the Meltwater project and its inherent nature of producing less impact in its surroundings.

After the competition, the Urban Ecology Center will be taking over ownership of the building as a teaching space in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley. Since the building will be grid connected, the generator will remain on site as back-up power.

About Northshore Power Systems
Northshore Power Systems, based in Milwaukee, Wis., is the exclusive licensee of the Honeywell brand of home standby and portable generators. More information may be obtained at Northshore Power Systems LLC, (414) 332-2375.