Innovative Iron Awards: Kohler’s Gaseous-Fueled Mobile Generator
The heart and soul of a good company is the creativity it brings to a marketplace. Innovation (as we’ll call it) is both the knowledge a business bestows to an industry and also the imagination in which it approaches its products and customers. In many ways, 2014 has been a tough year for contractors and manufacturers, so now it seems like an appropriate time to celebrate some of the big success stories — contractors who have become leaner and more agile, companies that have diversified and gained market share and manufacturers who have kept trailblazing with ever more efficient and innovative equipment. With this article we salute the companies (from Cat to Kubota) that have changed the commercial equipment market over the last 12 months with their unique, interesting and innovative machines, engines and technologies.
Kohler Releases the First Gaseous-Fueled Mobile Generator
Released in February 2014 at the Rental Show, Kohler brought a game-changer to the power generation industry — the first gaseous-fueled mobile “tow behind” generator, with the ability to easily switch between on-board LP (propane) fuel tanks and an on-site LP or natural gas supply. With propane being a low-emission, environmentally friendly fuel, this means a greener power generation system compared to the more traditional diesel-fueled mobile generators. The 125 kVA unit (125REZGT) was on display at the Rental Show and CONEXPO, with 50- and 70-kVA nodes now also available. The on-board tank is built for a 24-hour run time, and connection to an external LP or natural gas supply offers extended usage. Liquid propane burns cleaner, so these mobile units produce fewer toxins and less carbon monoxide, and flashes to vapor at atmospheric pressure, which reduces the risk of accidents from fuel spills. In addition, these propane units can help reduce users’ fuel costs by 15 to 20 percent compared to diesel fuel. For more info, visit kohlerpower.com.
Keith Gribbins is associate publisher of Compact Equipment, based in Brecksville, Ohio.
