FW Power installed two 500 kVA diesel generators at Fire Glass North in Worsley, Manchester, configured to operate in synchronisation. The project brought together increased generating capacity, coordinated operation and a practical maintenance strategy for a specialist glass business.
Reliability and efficient operation were central to the brief. By using two generators working together, the installation gives the customer the ability to retain half of the installed generating capacity during planned maintenance on either machine, subject to the remaining set's operating limits and the agreed load plan.
- Generator arrangement
- 2 × 500 kVA
- Combined installed capacity
- 1,000 kVA
- Capacity with one set in service
- 500 kVA / 50%
The load retained during maintenance must remain within the available generator's applicable duty rating, kVA and kW limits, including starting demand and site conditions.
About Fire Glass North and Fire Glass UK
Fire Glass North, based in Worsley, Manchester, supplies fire-rated, safety and specialist glass to customers across Northern England. The branch manufactures bespoke insulated glass units in fire-rated and non-fire-rated versions and has laminate cutting, fire-glass cutting and edge-polishing capabilities.
It forms part of Fire Glass UK, a specialist glass supplier with branches in Oldbury, Manchester, Colchester, Bristol and Edinburgh. Across the group, products include laminated, toughened, acoustic and insulating glass alongside fire-rated glazing. The business also provides specialist glazing installation and supports architects, contractors, joinery businesses, door manufacturers and partitioning specialists.
For a business processing glass and coordinating customer orders, dependable electrical power is an important part of production planning. This project focused on providing generating capacity while making routine generator maintenance easier to accommodate.
The requirement: capacity without losing maintenance flexibility
The brief called for two 500 kVA generator installations that could work together to deliver a combined 1,000 kVA. It also required the ability to maintain one generator while the other remained available to supply a managed load.
A single generating unit places all of its capacity into one machine. A paired arrangement gives the site a different operating choice: use both generators together when the load requires them, or retain one set for an agreed reduced load while the other is taken out of service.
The key consideration is the power the site needs during each operating condition. Planned maintenance can then be coordinated around essential loads and the available 500 kVA capacity.
The solution: two synchronised 500 kVA diesel generators
FW Power installed the two sets as a coordinated generator system. Synchronisation allows compatible generators to connect to a common electrical supply and contribute power together, giving this project its 1,000 kVA combined installed capacity.
Before a generator connects to an energised bus, the system must establish compatible voltage, frequency, phase sequence and phase angle. Once connected, the controls coordinate load sharing between the machines. Correctly configured load sharing helps distribute demand rather than allowing one set to take a disproportionate share.
This is the engineering principle behind FW Power's synchronised generator packages. The generator sets, controls and electrical installation need to work as one coordinated system.
ComAp control systems and operator visibility
The project video shows ComAp generator control systems with InteliVision 5 operator displays. The screens provide a local view of generator operating information and synchronisation status, helping operators understand what the system is doing.
Clear operating information matters when coordinating two machines. It supports monitoring and informed decisions during routine operation and maintenance planning.
The video moves between the two generator control compartments and shows ComAp InteliVision 5 displays, electrical readings and synchronisation screens. It also shows the space between the acoustic enclosures. Display readings are snapshots of operation, not a full-capacity performance test.
Retaining 50% of generating capacity during maintenance
The central operational benefit is straightforward: when one generator is safely isolated for planned maintenance, the other can remain available with 500 kVA of generating capacity. That represents 50% of the installation's 1,000 kVA total.
This allows maintenance to be planned around a reduced operating load. Essential services can be prioritised, and non-essential demand can be reduced where necessary to keep the remaining generator within its operating limits.
| Arrangement | Installed capacity available | Operational purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Both generators available in parallel | 1,000 kVA combined | Support the agreed load using both sets. |
| One generator isolated for maintenance | 500 kVA from the remaining set | Retain 50% capacity for a managed reduced load. |
Retaining 50% of installed capacity does not mean that every process can continue at full output. The actual supported load depends on demand, starting currents, operating duty and the system design. It also does not, by itself, establish an uninterrupted supply or full 1,000 kVA redundancy.
Discussing generator servicing and maintenance alongside the installation helps make this operating flexibility useful throughout the equipment's working life.
Reliability and efficiency through coordinated operation
A two-generator arrangement offers flexibility as electrical demand changes. Load sharing coordinates the contribution of each running generator, while a suitable operating plan can allow one machine to serve lower demand when the load and reserve requirements permit.
Where specified and enabled, load-demand control can automate the number of running sets. That feature should be confirmed for each installation. Any fuel-efficiency improvement depends on the load profile, the machines' fuel-consumption characteristics and the reserve capacity kept available.
For Fire Glass North, the clear benefit is the combination of shared generating capacity and a maintenance strategy that preserves a usable source of power.
The installation in pictures
The result: combined power and a practical maintenance plan
The installation brings together two 500 kVA generators in a synchronised system for Fire Glass North. It provides 1,000 kVA of combined installed generating capacity and the ability to retain 500 kVA while one machine is maintained.
For industrial customers considering a similar arrangement, this project demonstrates why generator capacity and maintainability should be considered together. FW Power can help develop a proposal around the site's load, the required operating duty and the power that needs to remain available during service work.
Synchronised generator installation FAQs
Can two 500 kVA generators provide 1,000 kVA?
Yes, compatible sets can provide 1,000 kVA of combined installed capacity when synchronised and correctly integrated. Both figures must refer to the same duty rating, and usable output remains subject to the generators' kW limits, site conditions and electrical system limits.
Can one generator be maintained while the other supplies power?
Yes, where the installation provides suitable isolation and operating arrangements. In this project, one 500 kVA set can remain available while the other is serviced. The retained load must fit within the remaining machine's applicable limits.
Does synchronisation automatically reduce fuel consumption?
No. The opportunity comes from matching running capacity to demand. A suitable one-set operating period may reduce unnecessary engine running, but actual savings depend on the load, equipment and reserve strategy.
What role do the ComAp displays play?
The InteliVision 5 operator displays provide access to generator information and status. The project footage shows electrical readings and synchronisation screens, giving operators a local view of the system.
