When you need power, you need Generators Unlimited. We have generators large enough to help turn the lights back on at “Candlestick Park,” after a recent power blackout event during a televised Monday Night Football game. 

Our “Super Size me” generators ratings start at 300 Kilowatts up to  2 Megawatts of standby generator power.

The two generators pictured, range from 300-500 Kilowats. Both generators are Sound Attenuated “Studio Quiet” rated at 55 db @ 50 ft. ”Super Sized” generators are subject to availability at the time of rental request.

To all who might be under the weather at some point this winter season, when you are feeling better, take a minute to “Sip, Savor, Salute” and enjoy just being with your friends and family. . .

To get more information on this “Year of the Dragon”, see Lilly’s blog post. – Gung Hay Fat Choy –

For the past 15 years, Generators Unlimited has been providing power for the Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade here in San Francisco . San Francisco is home to the second largest Chinese New Year Parade in the world and is rated as one of the top ten parades in the world. We are proud to support such a culturally significant celebration that has been a part of San Francisco ‘s colorful history since the gold rush of the 1860′s. This year, over 100 units will be a part of the parade including  floats, fireworks, stilt walkers, acrobats, marching bands, and even lions to name a few. There will also be an amazing 250 foot Golden Dragon named “Gum Lung”, manned by 100 White Crane martial artists.

2012 is the year of the dragon– the most significant astrological symbol in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese dragon represents happiness, fertility, procreation, immortality, and activity. Unlike the dragon of western mythology, the Chinese dragon is a gracious and honorable creature believed to ward off evil. It is in fact the most powerful emblem of good fortune in the Chinese culture, and cause for great celebration this February.

This year the Chinese New Year parade will be held on Saturday, February 11th and will be aired on KTVU Fox 2 and KTSF Channel 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The parade will begin on Market and 2nd and will conclude between Kearny and Jackson street . We hope to see you there, and we wish you “Gung Hay Fat Choy” from all of us at Generators Unlimited. We hope 2012 will be a fortunate dragon year!

Sources:

http://www.beijingservice.com/beijinghighlights/chinesedragon.htm

http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/events/chinesenewyearparade.html

This Sunday, come celebrate a historic San Francisco 49ers game at a historic Bay Area landmark. 7 Mile House will have their party tent up for the playoff game and will be offering $15 Bud and Bud Light Bucket specials. If your looking for a good cocktail at a good price, 7 Mile House should hit the spot with their $5 Bloody Marys. Hard of hearing you say? No problem. 7 Mile House also has 8 HD surround sound TVs tuned into the game. 7 Mile House is family friendly, and is the perfect place to go when you and your party can’t seem to agree on what to eat. Personally, I love to order their delicious Cioppino, but if your not in the mood for Italian, 7 Mile House also offers a wide selection of delicious American and Filipino dishes. Like 7 Mile House chefs, the bartenders are also great at what they do, and can serve up almost any cocktail imaginable. They also offer a wide selection of foreign and domestic beers, along with fine varietal wines.

If you want to eat well, have fun, support your local businesses and your local 49ers team, then 7 Mile House is the place to be. We enjoy taking friends, vendor partners, and clients to the historic 7 Mile House because they always end up leaving with full stomachs and smiles on their faces. Their quality customer service and delicious food makes 7 Mile House a local business to be proud of. At Generators Unlimited, after working hard, we like to eat good food, meet good people, and 7 Mile House in Brisbane always does us justice!

Richard Sherman is a self-made businessman and an American success story. (read more at: http://blogs.gangofpour.com/archives/homage-lytton-springs#ixzz1ihRMS7Ro)

He sold his first winery, Lytton Springs, and purchased a 300 acre vineyard in Mendocino where he and his wife built a winery, hospitality center, and custom home.  He then sold his Mendocino, CA property, and later started his current business venture buying and selling generators.  His understanding of niche market business methods has served him well over the years, and his independent, entrepreneurial spirit has been a joy to witness by all who have known and worked along side of him.   We all look forward to the day when Sherwin is back to business.

It is important to remind others, that safety comes first when it comes to moving heavy industrial equipment.  Drivers of trucks, towing generator trailers, trains, planes, ships, and automobiles, must take extra precautions to notify individuals located in close proximity of the realistic hazards associated with vehicles moving forward or backwards.  Individuals working around heavy equipment must also remain alert to their surroundings, especially whenever equipment is in motion.  Tragic accidents like Richard Sherwin’s happens far too often; the key for all drivers, you and I, is to do everything in our power when behind the steering wheel of any vehicle, to do our do diligence to prevent a life changing accident from occurring.

If you would like to send Sherwin an encouraging comment, or check the status of his recovery, please visit richardsherwin.com/ We have also provided a link to Richard Sherwin’s newest business ventures gensetwest.com  for more information regarding the purchase of generators.

Dear President Obama,

We were pleased to have our company Generators Unlimited, Inc., located in Northern, California, contracted to provide the power for the lighting during your recent Town Hall visit at Facebook in Palo Alto, CA.  Our customer, LJ Productions took pictures of our Studio Quiet generators outside of Facebook’s headquarters and of you inside during your talks with Facebook’s founder and employee’s.

We recognize you as a proud American.  As the President of a small company with less than 10 employees,  I can truly appreciate the saying “the buck stops with the President.”  Your desire to see “Change” in America starts with all of us who love this country.  As American’s, we reserve the right to disagree with you as our President; isn’t it great to be an American!

Adrienne and John of LJ Productions, another small business serving the Northern California production industry, worked closely with White House Communication staff and Secret Service agents assigned to this detail.  LJ Productions put together a team of local professionals that worked closely to help make your 2011 Facebook town hall visit a success.

On behalf of our colleagues, we appreciated having the opportunity of working with your administration and we thank you Mr. President for the opportunity to be of service.

Sincerely,

Randall J. Venerable
President and CEO
Generators Unlimited, Inc.

Advantages

•The initial installation cost for solar systems is high.

•Solar energy is only able to generate electricity during daylight hours. Therefore solar energy needs to be stored when produced for consumption later or an alternative source of energy is required for night use.

•During very cloudy days, production of electricity is reduced.

•Solar panels require a lot of roof space. Some find this unattractive and do not want to put the panel on their land.  This issues is being tackled with a new generation of solar panels that blend in with roof tiles.

•People living in apartments, in general, cannot install solar panels due to lack of roof space.

Disadvantages

• Produces no pollution.

• Does no contribute to global warming acid rain or smog.

Is a renewable resource,  it will never run out.

Can be generated without direct sunlight.

• Saves you money on your electric bills.

• Can actually make you money by selling it back to the electric utility companies when you’re not using what you produce.

• Can be stored for use later when you’re not producing using more electricity than you produce.

•Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades.

• Can be used where it’s not practical or too expensive to install high voltage cables.

•The only cost is the initial installation cost.

•You can receive up to 50% off the installation cost from the government in the form of a grant.

•Solar panels are typically easy to install.

•Solar panels can be installed on flat roof or pitched roofs.

It is clear that the advantages of solar energy outweigh the disadvantages  both qualitatively and quantitatively. As a company working in the generator business, we remain critically engaged in solar as a green alternative energy resource.  Unfortunately, the fact remains that we are in a period of transition in which solar technology remains unavailable to our niche market.  There are portable solar generators available to power small events, but they are not strong enough to fuel the large scale events we service.

In the meantime, diesel generators are our best option. However, the appointed California Air Resources Board has created C02 emissions regulations that are not possible to meet given the kind of technology available to our industry. Even with our use of Bio-diesel, it is still impossible to meet the new emissions requirements.  If these regulations are passed, they could potentially drive companies like ours out of California. With the recent bankruptcy of one of three major U.S. solar companies (Solyndra L.L.C.), we believe small business owners such as ourselves play a vital role in what Energy Department spokesperson, Dan Leistikow, calls “game changing technology that is key to America’s leadership in the global economy”. We want to help our planet earth breath a little easier, but we also want to continue to provide jobs and needed services to our clients. We are confident that solar energy will play a major role in our economy if small business are supported by local mandates and given the opportunity to invest in cleaner technology.

Resources:

www.alternate-energy-sources.com/history-of-solar-energy.html

www.Solarpowertoptips.com.

www.alternativeenergysource.org

www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/solar_timeline.pdf

PORTABLE GENERATORS

The use of portable generators is a common piece of equipment used on filming sets, special events, commercial/industrial, emergency response and or disaster relief, and other locations where shore power is not readily available.

Because most remote locations do not have sufficient power supplies to operate lighting and electrical equipment, portable generators are used either as a primary source of power or in some cases, for supplemental use. When a portable generator is used on location, there must be a qualified operator to oversee its use. This should be a qualified trained electrician. The following items should be inspected and discussed with the operator to assure the following safety guidelines are being met.

1. Ensure there is at least a 5 lb. 40 B.C. multi-purpose fire extinguisher or equivalent available.
2. Inspect the generator compartment for leaky fuel hoses or oil soaked insulation.
3. Ensure the generator is not parked beneath a combustible fuel source (e.g. leaves, dry vegetation, sprinkler heads, overhanging tree branches,) or blocking fire protection systems such as fire hydrants, standpipes, fire dept. connections, access ways or exits.
4. Production companies require that all generators are fueled to capacity prior to arriving on location, this prevents productioninterruptions. If a generator is required to be refueled, the generator operator shall shut down the power prior to refueling and assure that a ‘no smoking” policy is implemented.
5. On most generators, exhaust and intake ventilation doors automatically open when the generator is started.  Ensure that the generator operator has opened the ventilation doors on those generators that require manual operation.
6. Insure that tractor mounted or the trailer-mounted generator is properly secured and stationary.  Emergency breaks and/or wheel chalks should be placed on the wheels to prevent movement.
7. Inspect for obvious electrical hazards such as: proper grounding of the generator per requirements of equipment, frayed electrical cables, proper cable connection to the power output bus, protected from unauthorized personnel.

Obvious electrical hazards can be remedied by the fire safety officer, however more serious electrical hazards should be immediately corrected by onsite electrical personnel or electrical inspector. 

GROUNDING / BONDING

Bonding and grounding are separate requirements for generators and other electrical distribution systems.  Grounding means the connection, or the establishment of a connection, of an electric circuit or equipment to reference ground, which includes the generator’s frame. Bonding is the intentional connection between the grounded circuit conductor (neutral) and the grounding means for the generator, which includes the generator’s frame.  Thus, effective bonding of the neutral conductor to the generator’s frame is also a concern for the safe use of the equipment.  As with grounding terminal connections, proper bonding of the neutral terminal of a power receptacle may be confirmed via testing by a competent electrician with the correct equipment, and the ohmic resistance should measure near zero and must not be intermittent, which indicates a loose connection.

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

WEBSITE NOTES POSTINGS ON GROUNDING

“Grounding electrodes are only required if the generator is a separately derived system. Ground rods (grounding electrodes) are only required if the generator is a separately derived system.  The key to knowing if a generator is a “Separately Derived System” is not the generator, but rather if the generator is being connected to a building and or building transfer switch. If the buildings transfer switch does not transfer the neutral (grounded conductor), then the generator has a “solidly connected” grounded circuit conductor and the generator is not a separately derived system. “

“In the 2011 NEC, Article 250.4 (A)(5) states, in part, “The earth shall not be considered as an effective ground-fault current path.  So even if you ground the generator, by Code, an electrode in the ground may not provide the protection you seek.”

“A generator that has no reference to earth ground, as is the case if neither side of the winding is connected to earth, will not produce any voltage relative to earth ground on EITHER terminal. It is isolated and the effect is the same as grabbing the hot terminal of a battery; nothing happens.”

“Because grounding one conductor of a generator causes the ungrounded conductor to have a potential relative to ground, it actually increases the hazard that can exist if one comes into contact with the ungrounded conductor.”

“A GFCI breaker does not rely on the existence of a ground.  A GFCI measures the difference between the hot and the neutral currents and trips if they are not the same.  There are many installations where GFCIs are installed BECAUSE no ground is available.”

“In most cases a ground rod has too much resistance to trip a breaker even if there is a ground fault.  The resistance would have to be 8 Ohms or less to trip.”

“NEC 250.4 General Requirements for Grounding and Bonding.  The following general requirements identify what grounding and bonding of electrical systems are required to accomplish.  The prescriptive methods contained in Article 250 shall be followed to comply with the performance requirements of this section. (A) Grounded Systems. (1) Electrical System Grounding.  Electrical systems that are grounded shall be connected to earth in a manner that will limit the voltage imposed by lightning, line surges, or unintentional contact with higher-voltage lines and that will stabilize the voltage to earth during normal operation. The (grounding electrode) rod in this case will do nothing unless the generator is struck by lightning”.

PLEASE NOTE:

Generators Unlimited will supply a grounding rod and required grounding cables and clamps upon customer request.  The 8’ Copper Glad grounding rod is a purchased item, as they most often are un-retrievable without being damaged.  Generators Unlimited staff will not install grounding rods into the earth.  When onsite digging is required, it is best that the customer “call before digging” to prevent property damage, while limiting the risk associated with the realistic possibility of digging into underground gas-lines, water pipes and electrical conduit. In addition, in some jurisdictions it is “illegal to dig or drive a ground rod in the ground unless you first call the local utilities and request a survey of the area”.

Please contact us should you require additional information.

The tower itself was donated by Lillie Hithcock Coit, who was saved by a firefighter when she was a child. In 1929, Lillie commissioned the Coit Tower monument to be built in honor of the firefighters she admired, and to give something back to the city she loved. Given its history and beauty, Coit Tower was the perfect sight to commemorate the heroes and victims of 9/11. The red, white, and blue light enveloped Coit Tower with greater meaning, and inspired that sense of patriotism which unifies one citizen with another.

The effort to create the memorial was exemplary of the teamwork that is alive and well in our citizenry and businesses. I’d like to give a special thanks to Jim Kiely who inspired the 9/11 Coit Tower Memorial from its inception–who originated the lighting idea and rallied the vendors and individuals to make this memorial possible. Let’s keep the memories of the 9/11 victims alive everyday by valuing the personal freedoms that were threatened, and utilizing them for the betterment of ourselves and our country. We at Generators Unlimited are proud to be a part of this tribute to the fallen, and are proud to be an American company.

References:

www.resetsanfrancisco.org/san-francisco-faq/history-why-coit-tower-built

Nevertheless, ethanol (an alternative fuel source) can be derived from elephant dung. Ethanol has gotten a lot of hype partially due to the fact that it can be derived from many natural sources such as fermented crops, wood chips, saw grass, and lawn clippings. Problem is, ethanol creates almost as much pollution as gasoline and damages the ozone layer. So what to do then with this possible alternate resource? Well, there’s always the paper business.

Because elephant dung is extremely fibrous it can be boiled down and processed into paper. I don’t know about you but the thought of writing a heartfelt letter on the fibrous ass lingerings of a pachyderm kind of weirds me out. I’ll stick with the recycled.

I think the elephants can just keep doing what they do naturally– fertilize the soil. And as far as the circus tricks go, it seems about as natural as finding a pile of elephant dung in your driveway.

Resources:

http://furtheradventuresofindigored.blogspot.com/2007/04/unintended-consequences-of-alternative.html