1000w Metal Halide on a Generator, bad idea?

sundula

I'm part of a club who has a couple of training pitches and the main pitch lit by 1000w Metal Halide flood lights. There is about 30 of these fittings from memory. At a board meeting someone proposed, as a cost saving measure, that we run these lights with a generator. I disagree, firstly the generator required would have to be sizable we would need to build a shed, get in an electrician, dig up ducting etc etc which all seems not very cost effective.

Apart from these issues would i be right in thinking that the light fittings/control gear/bulbs would be damaged while operating on a generator ? We need a 4wd cherry picker to change blown lamps as it is so any increase in blown bulbs is going to coming with an additional bill for cherry picker hire.

DublinDilbert

You've a 30kw load, so each hour you'll use 30kwH of electricity, which costs say €4.50.

How much would it cost to run a 30kva generator for an hour??? Thats about 40hp. I'd imagine 40hp would cost at-least the same in diesel.

Did the person who suggested it show their calculations? It's hard to see where the payback is, if any...

Bruthal

Id agree it would be no payback and in fact it would be far dearer to run that load with a diesel generator than using mains electricity. Here is a chart for diesel consumption.

http://www.dieselserviceandsupply.com/Diesel_Fuel_Consumption.aspx

I dont know how accurate etc, but it indicates 30kw loading on a 30kw/KVA generator would consume 2.9 gallons of diesel, thats 10 litres approx, or 10 euro or so, which sounds about right id say, where as the mains fed supply would cost about €4.50 as DDilbert says.

Even 30kw on a 60kw generator is the same diesel consumption, so definitely no savings would be made. I doubt you will ever see a generator used as a money saving method.

sundula

No, the party that suggested this just threw out the idea a being 'fantastic' as they had seen it some where else. I know that regardless of the running cost of a generator capable of driving the lights the capital and construction work would render this excerise pointless in my opinion.

I was really just wondering would a generator supply damage metal halide fittings and lamps over a period of time.

M cebee

there'd be a multiplier as well- i think it's a factor of 1.8 for discharge lighting
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/6.2.1.htm

Randyleprechaun

Generators for pitch lighting can be an advantage to clubs who would have to pay large costs to get a 3 phase supply to their site. For example, where no 3 phase supply exists within the area.

For such clubs it makes economic sense to run the lighting on generator, as they will only pay for diesel while using the lights and have no standing costs etc etc.