Energy Research and Development Facility Renovation

Optimizing Performance and Safety Protocols During Generator Testing

Repurposing a legacy manufacturing zone, this facility revitalization created a pristine, cutting-edge hub focused entirely on energy research and development for Generac Power Systems, Inc. The engineering and construction teams deployed critical chain methodology to keep the energy lab on track inside an active, operational plant, successfully establishing an alternator lab, a transfer switch lab, and a high-tech electronics lab. Through meticulous structural repairs and aesthetic updates to the building’s original steel columns and masonry walls, the completed infrastructure provides a seamless, uniform environment fully optimized for product validation and high-capacity generator testing.

The Challenge

To support their strategic vision of a world-class energy research and development facility, Generac Power Systems, Inc. needed to transform an existing space previously used for manufacturing into a “like-new” validation environment. This project required an energy lab capable of managing the immense spatial and structural complexity of building advanced labs within an actively operating facility. Standard facility setups were entirely insufficient to meet the precision and safety requirements of modern, high-volume generator testing.

The challenge lay in executing extensive structural remediation while managing tight project schedules. Generac required a partner that could fully define their testing and facility requirements, develop total project budgets, and execute the physical transformation without bottlenecking ongoing plant operations. They chose to engage ACS, an integration and construction specialist, to design and build this modern infrastructure faster and more reliably than they could using internal resources alone.

The Solution

ACS worked collaboratively with the client to provide full project lifecycle support, from initial planning and pre-construction services to equipment procurement, integration, and commissioning. To keep the project on track within a fully live facility, ACS utilized critical chain methodology to manage scheduling and eliminate operational friction.

The core of the physical solution involved constructing three separate, highly specialized validation spaces, including an alternator lab, a transfer switch lab, and a modern electronics lab. To achieve a clean, “like new” look, ACS executed an extensive structural refurbishment. Teams stripped layers of chipped paint from steel columns, filled and sanded defects from years of industrial use, replaced cracked masonry blocks, and skim-coated precast planks on the Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) walls to ensure a completely uniform aesthetic.

The Outcome

The completed platform is now fully live and operational, completely transforming the former manufacturing zone into a world-class energy research and development hub. Through strict adherence to the critical chain schedule, ACS delivered the space with zero disruption to the active facility, providing a turnkey environment optimized for product validation.

With this energy lab facility online, Generac has successfully elevated its market offering, utilizing the modern infrastructure to support the testing of new and existing products, including their standby power units. The pristine facility meets every aesthetic and functional baseline, serving as a dedicated hub where engineers can safely conduct high-capacity generator testing. This successful transformation highlights the unique value of a partner capable of executing complex facility engineering and equipment integration within a specialized electronics lab environment.

Key Features

• Full transformation of an active manufacturing facility into a “like new” world-class R&D environment
• Construction of three dedicated testing spaces, featuring a highly advanced electronics lab, an alternator lab, and a transfer switch lab
• Extensive aesthetic and structural refurbishment of masonry walls, steel building columns, and CMU walls
• Rigorous project tracking utilizing critical chain methodology to maintain complex schedules in an operating plant

ACS Services

• Initial planning, project development, budgeting, and program scheduling
• Pre-construction services and complete construction management
• Equipment procurement, systems integration, and final commissioning for generator testing facilities
• Complete structural remediation and facility transformation for energy research and development spaces