Power Generation

  • Welcome to the New Gilded Age

    This forecast appeared in the September 2019 issue of Diesel Progress magazine.

    SUMMARY. The underlying weak conditions in the global economic picture could put pressure on the North American power generation industry for the remainder of 2019 and through most of 2020. We forecast little or no growth for the industry through 2020.

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  • Welcome to the New Gilded Age of Gen-Sets

    This forecast appeared in the September 2019 issue of Diesel Progress magazine.

    SUMMARY. The underlying weak conditions in the global economic picture could put pressure on the North American power generation industry for the remainder of 2019 and through most of 2020. We forecast little or no growth for the industry through 2020.

    Even though the power generation production market was up slightly (0.9% in 2018-2019), we see it declining about 1% over the next year. 

    Tyler Wiegert
    Tyler Wiegert

    For those of you a few years removed from your high school U.S. History courses, the original Gilded Age was a period covering the 1870s-1890s that was marked by astonishing economic growth. Driven by the expansion of industrialization in the North and West, facilitated by growing railroad networks, real wages grew an enviable 60%.

    But Mark Twain dubbed this period the “Gilded Age” rather than the “Golden Age,” because it was also marked by extreme poverty, and he represented it with gilded, decaying apple. The shiny outward appearance of growth was masking a rotten core of massive inequality.

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  • Seasonal Trends Drive Strong Q2 2019

    SUMMARY: Gen-set sales in Q2 2019 rose 4.3% from Q1 2019, due to increases in commercial demand and demand for standbys that are typical for Q2 as construction season and hurricane season begin. Broken out by kW range, sales increases were on the lower end of normal in the 51-100kW and 101-300kW ranges, but overall sales were still driven by typical growth in the 101kW-1MW ranges, typical of the construction season.

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  • Steep Decline in Portables Sales Cause an Unusually Rocky Q1 2019

    SUMMARY: Gen-set sales in Q1 2019 declined 13.6% from Q4 2018, largely due to an unusually steep drop in sales of portable gen-sets. Sales were anemic between 21kW and 500kW and declined in the 501-1000kW and 1001-2000kW ranges by more than any other Q1 in the last five years.

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  • Generator Sales Continue Strong in Q4 2018

    SUMMARY: Gen-set sales in North America continued to grow in Q4 2018, with dealers reporting an overall unit sales increase of 6.7% over Q3 2018, largely due to a continued strong demand level for standby units by private consumers.

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  • NA Gen-Set Sales Strong in Q3 2018

    SUMMARY: Gen-set sales in North America climbed 6% in Q3 2018 over Q2 2018, with the focus switching from larger industrial standby’s and construction site power generation earlier in the year to residential standby sales as part of winter-preparedness.

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  • Q2 2018 Shows Further Evidence of Paradigm Shifts Following 2017 Hurricanes

    SUMMARY: Gen-set sales climbed 5% over Q1 2018 levels in anticipation of the camping season and end of fiscal year for many government and industrial consumers. While fewer dealers commented on specific-storm related residential demand this quarter, the 5% growth this quarter does seem to indicate that last year’s hurricanes may have raised the gen-set market up to a new normal, especially when compared to the 1.8% growth reported in Q2 of 2017.

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  • Consumer Consciousness, Industrial Demand Deliver Modest Growth in Q1 2018 Gen-Set Sales

    SUMMARY: Gen-set sales continued the growth trend in Q1 2018 with a 2% increase over Q4 2017 levels. We continue to see increased demand for residential standby after last year’s severe weather season as well as the ramp-up towards the construction and camping seasons.

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  • Severe Weather, Economy Boost Strong Q4 2017 Gen-Set Sales

    SUMMARY: North American Gen-set sales continued with strong growth in the lower kW ranges in Q4 2017 with overall unit sales up 12.9% over Q3 2017. The gains were driven by ongoing demand caused by severe hurricanes, as well as optimism about the economy.

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  • Hurricane Effects Lift Q3 2017 Gen-Set Sales

    SUMMARY: Gen-set sales experienced a sharp increase in Q3 2017 with overall sales up 21.8% over Q2 2017 levels due to demand from hurricanes Harvey and Irma.  This increase follows Q2 2017 where dealer reported sales were up 1.8% relative to Q1 2017 levels.

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