Application
Diesel Generators for Resorts and Island Properties
An island resort has the load profile of a small town and the acoustics of a bedroom wall. Air conditioning runs all night, the water or desalination plant has to run with it, and the set usually stands within earshot of a guest villa. On top of that the fuel arrives by barge or by road on a schedule the resort does not control, and the salt air works on every enclosure on the property.
Resort and island properties in the Philippines are normally quoted between 100 kVA and 500 kVA per set, in acoustic canopies, often as two sets so that one can be serviced while the other carries the property, with tank autonomy set by the fuel delivery interval.
Requirements
What a resort specification has to state
| Item | Typical requirement | Why it changes the set |
|---|---|---|
| Load to carry | Guest rooms and air conditioning, water supply and treatment, kitchens, laundry, pool plant, lighting | Air conditioning and water treatment dominate a tropical resort load |
| Duty | Standby where the grid is present; prime where the property is off-grid | Island properties without a reliable feeder are buying a power station, not a backup |
| Noise | 50-60 dB(A) at the nearest villa; lower at night where the set is downwind of rooms | This is the requirement that decides the enclosure and sometimes the siting |
| Autonomy | Set by the fuel delivery interval; 24-72 h is common on an island | Decides the tank size, the bunding and the barge or truck delivery procedure |
| Redundancy | Two sets where the property cannot run without power at all | One set serviced while the other carries the load; it is a commercial decision |
| Corrosion | Direct salt spray on coastal sites, humidity above 80% year round | Adds salt-mist treatment, marine-grade fasteners and anti-condensation heaters |
| Wind loading | Typhoon exposure; canopies and containers anchored to a rated foundation | An unanchored canopy is a projectile in a typhoon, not just a damaged machine |
| Appearance | Screened, landscaped or bermed, away from guest areas and boat operations | Decides whether the air path can be ducted and how the enclosure is finished |
| Exhaust and smell | Discharge above roof height and away from fresh-air intakes and outdoor dining | Diesel smell reaches guests faster than noise does |
| Operation | Started and monitored by property engineering staff rather than a power plant team | Decides how simple the control panel and the daily checks have to be |
Configurations
Configurations we quote most often
| Rating per set | Typical arrangement | Fits | Range page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 kVA / 80 kW | One set, silent canopy | Boutique properties, dive resorts and small island lodges | 100 kVA |
| 200 kVA / 160 kW | One set, or two with automatic transfer | Mid-size resorts with 50-120 keys | 200 kVA |
| 300-400 kVA / 240-320 kW | Two sets with automatic transfer and load shedding | Full-service resorts, laundry and water treatment included | 300 kVA · 400 kVA |
| 500 kVA / 400 kW and above | Two or three sets in parallel | Island properties running their own water and power distribution | 500 kVA |
Reference configuration
A worked island property example
This is the shape of a quotation for an island resort running two sets and a fuel delivery that arrives by sea, not a catalogue entry.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Property load | 330 kW peak with the water plant running; 210 kW at normal night load |
| Sets | 2 × 300 kVA / 240 kW, one running and one standby, automatic transfer and load shedding |
| Electrical | 440/254 V, 60 Hz, 1800 rpm, three phase, 0.8 power factor |
| Noise | 55 dB(A) at 7 m in a residential acoustic canopy, sited 60 m from the nearest villa |
| Autonomy | 48 h at 75% load on a bunded base tank, with a bulk tank for the barge delivery interval |
| Corrosion protection | Salt-mist treated canopy, marine-grade fasteners, anti-condensation heaters |
| Anchoring | Cyclone-rated foundation detail for the wind zone of the island |
| Exhaust | Discharged above roof height, away from fresh-air intakes and the outdoor dining area |
| Testing | Load bank test at 100%, 75% and 50% before dispatch, with the test sheet issued |
Questions
Questions we are asked about resort sets
How quiet can a generator be next to guest villas?
55 dB(A) at 7 m is achievable in a residential acoustic canopy, which is roughly the level of a quiet conversation at that distance. Getting there is a build, not an order code: the enclosure, the exhaust silencer and the air path all have to be engineered together. Distance and the direction of the prevailing wind usually buy more than another 5 dB of canopy does.
One set or two?
Two, if the property cannot operate without power. Two sets at half the size each let the resort service one while the other carries the load, and they also give a path to a full outage if one fails. One larger set is cheaper to buy and cheaper to service, and it is the right answer where a short outage is merely inconvenient.
How is fuel handled on an island site?
By tanker truck to a bulk tank if there is a road, by barge and a transfer pump if there is not. Either way the sizing question is the same: work back from the daily consumption at the expected load, multiply by the longest realistic delivery interval, and add bunding and a spill kit that the property can actually use. One delivery a month is a very different tank from a weekly delivery.
What does salt air do to a generator enclosure?
It gets into the seams, the fasteners and the radiator fins, and a standard powder coat on a coastal site can be showing rust within three to four years. Salt-mist treatment, marine-grade fasteners and a wash-down routine are the practical answer. Coastal properties should also keep the set out of direct spray from the sea, which is a siting decision as much as a paint specification.
Can the set be hidden from guests?
Yes, and it usually has to be. Screens, berms and landscaping are standard, and a containerized set can be set into a service yard where guests never pass. The one part that cannot be hidden quietly is the exhaust, which has to discharge clear of fresh-air intakes and outdoor dining, and that is a decision the architect needs to make early.
Related
Related applications and ranges
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Diesel generators by application
How the requirement changes between data centres, hospitals, hotels, resorts and telecom sites.
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Hotels
City and resort hotels where guest comfort sets the specification.
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Silent sets
The dB(A) figures, the enclosure build and the space it needs.
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300 kVA class
240 kW, a common size for a full-service resort essential supply.
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Philippines
60 Hz, typhoon anchoring, salt air and barge deliveries to island sites.
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Request a quote
Send the property load, the noise limit and the fuel delivery interval.
Specifying a set for a resort or an island property?
Send the property load, the distance to the nearest villa, the fuel delivery interval and the wind zone the property sits in.