10 kVA
Standby generators with AMF watch the utility supply and restore essential circuits within seconds of an outage — the standard architecture for load shedding resilience. AGP standby diesels from 10 kVA to 500 kVA ship AMF-ready with Deep Sea–class controllers. Budget roughly R48,500 to R845,000 excl. VAT for the set itself, plus ATS, cabling and SANS-compliant installation.
Sizes this category covers: 10 kVA generators, 20 kVA generators, 30 kVA generators, 40 kVA generators, 50 kVA generators, 60 kVA generators, 80 kVA generators and 100 kVA generators.
56 generators
56 generators
22 kVA
30 kVA
60 kVA
100 kVA
150 kVA
200 kVA
250 kVA
250 kVA Three Phase Silent Diesel Generator
Three PhaseDieselPerkins
Lead time 4 weeks
R 412 000
Excl. VAT
500 kVA
500 kVA Three Phase Silent Diesel Generator
Three PhaseDieselBaudouin
Lead time 8 weeks
R 845 000
Excl. VAT
1000 kVA
1000 kVA Three Phase Silent Diesel Generator
Three PhaseDieselPerkins
Lead time 14 weeks
R 1 637 000
Excl. VAT
8 kVA
12 kVA
14 kVA
16 kVA
18 kVA
20 kVA
20 kVA
25 kVA
25 kVA
27 kVA
30 kVA
30 kVA Single Phase Silent Diesel Generator
Single PhaseDieselHyundai
Lead time 3 weeks
R 105 600
Excl. VAT
30 kVA
30 kVA
35 kVA
35 kVA Single Phase Silent Diesel Generator
Single PhaseDieselSDEC
Lead time 6 weeks
R 120 100
Excl. VAT
Designing automatic standby that actually starts
Automatic mains failure is a system, not a checkbox on a controller brochure. The generator, battery charger, fuel level, ATS/AMF panel, sensing wiring and exercise schedule must all be healthy or the set will not save you at 18:00 on a stage-6 evening. Specify closed-transition or open-transition transfer based on load sensitivity, and size the ATS for the full backed-up current, not just the generator breaker.
Decide which circuits are “essential.” Whole-facility standby is expensive and often unnecessary; tiered boards keep servers, cold rooms, emergency lighting and selected HVAC alive while shedding geysers and non-critical plugs. Document the philosophy so facilities teams do not defeat it with informal extensions later.
Exercise the set weekly or as the manufacturer specifies under load when possible. No-load weekly starts glaze cylinders and lie about readiness. Monitor battery voltage, keep fuel polished, and log every failed start. Remote SMS or Ethernet alerts earn their fee the first time a low-fuel warning arrives before an outage cluster.
Standby ratings allow higher output for limited annual hours — fine for classic grid-backup duty. If you also island for production shifts, revisit prime ratings. AGP Generators engineers both the machine and the change-over so compliance (SANS 10142-1, CoC) and operations land together.
Related guidance: 22 kVA generators, 100 kVA generators, 150 kVA generators, home backup generators, silent diesel generators and load shedding backup power guide.
AMF-ready standby sets compared
Side-by-side snapshot of the units buyers compare most often in this category.
| Model | Engine | Prime | Phase | Fuel @75% | Noise | Price excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kVA Single Phase Silent Diesel Generator | Hyundai DHY8500SE | 10 kVA | Single Phase | 1.7 L/h | 65 dB | R48 500 |
Standby Generators with Automatic Mains Failure FAQs
Typical open-transition sequences restore load in about 10–15 seconds after utility failure, depending on engine start and ATS settings.
AMF logic decides when to start and stop the set; the ATS is the power switching hardware. Many panels combine both functions.
Not legally mandatory, but strongly recommended if no one is home to start a manual set during weekday load shedding.
Standby-rated machines are intended for utility outage hours within annual limits. Continuous production needs prime-rated equipment.
Battery care, fuel quality, scheduled load tests, firmware/settings backups and inspection of ATS contactors after heavy outage seasons.
Yes. Commissioning includes sensing setup, exercise timers, alarms and customer training before sign-off.