Power Gen Abuzz About Emissions Standards

The big buzz at this year’s PowerGen show in Orlando this past month was meeting or addressing new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards, notably TIER 3 requirements for diesel generator sets.

“The U.S. is moving toward what will be a TIER 3-only level [for gensets] so we’re getting out of producing a lot of the older TIER 1 stuff and shifting our newer products to meet TIER 3,” said Collette Weiser an executive with Minneappolis-based Cummins.

The manufacturer displayed its new TIER-3 compliant 100-kW genset which also included a newly designed enclosure. The unit also featured a skid that can be easily maneuvered by a forklift, and also side-mounted controls for more easy access.

Kohler also displayed its new line of more emissions-friendly gensets, including a TIER 2 compliant option for its 1,000 kW unit. While much of the new innovations on the show floor have been the result of the new EPA requirements, Kohler’s Mark Repp noted this has been a trend that’s been in the works for some time. “Diesel generators are much more cleaner than they were five years ago and they’ll continue to get cleaner,” said Repp.

Caterpillar displayed its new 54—100 kW rated diesel-fueled genset. Powered by the C4.4 engine and utilizing elements of the company’s ACERT technology, the unit is capable of meeting EPA Tier 2 emissions compliance without sacrificing fuel economy or performance.

Elsewhere, in the very large genset department, Detroit Diesel announced it will have a 3,250-kW unit available in March. According to John Hartlieb, the company’s manager of power generation, the need for even larger gensets—the company currently produces a 2,800-kW unit—is simply due to the increased power densities in facilities such as data centers and hospitals, where real estate is frankly king.

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