A 100 kW rental set is rated near 125 kVA, which is close to 347 amps at 208 volts three phase or about 150 amps at 480, and it hires for something like $400 to $700 a day before fuel. Whether that size is right has little to do with adding up nameplates and everything to do with the largest motor that has to start on the site.
Read the output panel in amps, because that is what you connect to
Kilowatts describe what the engine makes and amps describe what your distribution can accept. At 125 kVA the set gives roughly 347 amps at 208 volts, near 300 at 240 and about 150 at 480, so the voltage you choose sets the cable size and the camlock tails hired with it. Check the set is switchable before assuming it matches your panel.
Standby rating and prime rating are two different plates
The same machine carries two numbers: a standby figure for intermittent outage duty and a lower prime figure for continuous work. A set badged at 100 kW standby may only be good for around 90 kW day after day. For a construction hire running weeks rather than hours, size against the prime rating and the engine will last the job.
What a set this size carries in real load
Loads that land in this class include a small tower crane, a compound of site trailers with heating and lighting, a pump set, or a shop running two or three large motors. One big motor starting direct on line pulls several times its running current for a second, and that dip is what drops everything else sharing the bus.
Tank size decides how often somebody has to visit
Belly tanks on this class usually hold enough for about 24 hours at half load, and considerably less as load climbs. That single figure decides whether the hire needs a scheduled fuel service, a bunded day tank alongside, or nothing at all. Agree who refuels and at what price per gallon before the set goes on the pad.
Questions people ask about 100kw generator rental
How many amps is a 100 kW generator?
Around 347 amps at 208 volts three phase, near 300 at 240 volts and about 150 at 480, taking the usual power factor rental sets are rated at. Ask which voltages the machine is switchable to, because the wrong tap means new cable rather than a quick change at the panel.
Will a 100 kW set start a 60 horsepower motor?
Not reliably in every case. Starting current on a direct on line motor is a multiple of its running current, so a soft starter or a variable frequency drive on the motor often matters more than extra kilowatts on the generator. Give the yard the horsepower and the starting method together.
What is missing from the day rate?
Cable, camlock tails, a distribution box, ground rods and any transfer switch are hired separately, and diesel is either billed on consumption or returned full. Connecting a set into a building's wiring is licensed electrical work, so book the electrician before you book the delivery slot.