Generac Unveils the Most Powerful Air-Cooled Home Standby Generator on the Market
Generac Holdings (NYSE: GNRC) has announced its latest home standby generator design, featuring a new 28kW model, the most powerful air-cooled home standby generator in the market. The announcement comes after the U.S. experienced nearly 1.5 billion hours of power outages in 2024, the highest since 2010.
The new design includes built-in cellular connectivity, an advanced controller with electronic oil-level sensing, an all-aluminum cabinet, and industry-first Electronic Fuel and Ignition Control system. It integrates with ecobee smart thermostats and PWRcell battery systems, offering improved power density and maintenance-free hydraulic lifters.
The product line expansion ranges from 10 to 28kW models and will be available in the second half of 2025. Generac's distribution network includes over 9,000 authorized dealers plus wholesale and retail partners.
- Launch of market's most powerful air-cooled home standby generator (28kW)
- Built-in cellular connectivity for real-time monitoring
- Advanced features including electronic oil-level sensing and gas-pressure monitoring
- Integration with smart home devices and battery systems
- Extensive distribution network with 9,000+ authorized dealers
- New product won't be available until second half of 2025
- Additional costs for integrated surge protection (sold separately)
Insights
Generac's introduction of the 28kW home standby generator represents a significant technical advancement in residential backup power. This air-cooled unit substantially raises the power ceiling for homeowners without requiring liquid cooling systems, which typically involve higher installation and maintenance costs.
The engineering improvements are comprehensive and address real-world reliability concerns. The new Electronic Fuel and Ignition Control (EFIC) system should deliver tangible efficiency gains while improving starting capability - a critical factor during unexpected outages. The all-aluminum cabinet with improved water/snow management demonstrates thoughtful design for environmental durability across diverse climates.
Most impressively, the advanced controller with electronic diagnostics (oil-level sensing and gas-pressure monitoring) transforms these units from basic backup appliances into proactive energy management systems. The superior power output quality for sensitive electronics acknowledges the evolution of residential power needs, protecting everything from medical devices to home offices.
The timing aligns perfectly with deteriorating grid conditions, as evidenced by the
Generac's new generator design reflects a strategic transformation from emergency backup provider to comprehensive energy management company. The built-in cellular connectivity as standard moves these generators firmly into the IoT domain, creating recurring touchpoints with customers through their smartphones and potentially opening service-based revenue streams beyond the initial hardware sale.
The integration with ecobee thermostats is particularly clever, bringing generator information out of the basement and into daily consumer awareness via wall-mounted displays. This bridges the psychological gap between intermittent backup needs and daily energy decisions, potentially increasing perceived value.
This product launch strengthens Generac's ecosystem play - a strategy that typically leads to higher customer retention and lifetime value. By connecting generators with their PWRcell battery systems and smart thermostats, they're creating interoperability advantages that increase switching costs for consumers.
While the second-half 2025 release means delayed revenue impact, the comprehensive approach suggests Generac is playing a longer game in building out their energy technology portfolio. Their established distribution network of 9,000+ dealers provides significant advantage in educating consumers about these more sophisticated solutions compared to competitors.
The timing capitalizes on documented market trends: increasing outages, rising utility costs, and growing consumer interest in energy independence. By expanding their product line from 10kW to 28kW, Generac ensures they can serve virtually any residential power need with air-cooled technology, further cementing their market leadership.
The new design seamlessly integrates across Generac's product ecosystem, giving customers more control over their energy needs as they navigate severe weather, diminishing grid reliability and rising energy costs
With the introduction of this new design, Generac expands its line of the most comprehensive, reliable and efficient range of air-cooled home standby generators, with models ranging from 10 to 28kW. These new designs will seamlessly integrate with other Generac products - including ecobee smart thermostats and PWRcell battery systems.
The launch follows an active year in 2024 with the
"At Generac, we are building an ecosystem of products for the home that address the growing energy demands of our customers as grid instability intensifies and energy utility costs increase," said Generac CEO Aaron Jagdfeld. "The new design incorporates years of feedback from customers and dealers and is another bold step forward for the home standby generator category. Not only do these products help protect our customers in the event of a storm or outage, but they also integrate across our product ecosystem, empowering them to take control of their power needs as they continue to navigate mounting energy challenges."
Generac created the home standby generator category and has delivered peace of mind for millions of customers over its 60-plus-year history. The new home standby product line is the latest innovation in Generac's comprehensive ecosystem of residential energy technology solutions which provide customers with reliable, more efficient and better managed energy solutions.
The new generator design includes:
- Built-in cellular connectivity as a standard feature offering customers the ability to monitor and control their generator's status and performance in realtime, right from their smartphone.
- An advanced controller delivering important new capabilities such as electronic oil-level sensing and gas-pressure monitoring and providing customers and dealers with important diagnostic information to provide the highest level of performance before, during, and after a power outage.
- An all-aluminum cabinet design with superior corrosion protection and updated aesthetics featuring a new roof designed to reduce water, snow and ice buildup.
- An industry-first Electronic Fuel and Ignition Control (EFIC) system providing improved motor starting capability and lower fuel consumption.
- Industry-leading generator output quality for powering sensitive electronics and providing for a higher load acceptance capability, such as the ability to start up a five-ton air conditioning unit.
- An advanced engine design delivering improved power density and maintenance-free hydraulic lifters, lowering the total cost of maintenance intervals.
- A new, industry-leading automatic transfer switch design with integrated surge protection.*
- The ability to fully integrate with ecobee smart thermostats, enabling customers to display vital information about their generator directly on their wall, and giving them greater control over their home energy management.
In addition to market-leading product innovation, Generac maintains a best-in-class distribution network to serve homeowners across the country. Generac's home standby generators are available through more than 9,000 authorized dealers as well as thousands of wholesale and retail partners. For more information about Generac's standby generator products, visit Generac.com/standby-generators/. To learn about our leading energy technology solutions and power products, visit Generac.com.
The new design will be available in the second half of 2025.
*Sold separately
About Generac
Generac Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GNRC) is a total energy solutions company that empowers people to use energy on their own terms. Founded in 1959, Generac is a leading global designer, manufacturer, and provider of a wide range of energy technology solutions. The Company provides power generation equipment, energy storage systems, energy management devices & solutions, and other power products serving the residential, light commercial, and industrial markets. Generac introduced the first affordable backup generator and later created the automatic home standby generator category. The Company continues to expand its energy technology offerings for homes and businesses in its mission to Power a Smarter World and lead the evolution to more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions.
Media Contact: Jonathan Stern
Jonathan.Stern@Generac.com | (312) 402-7167
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SOURCE Generac Power Systems, Inc.
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