Generac Power Systems a leading global designer, manufacturer and provider of energy technology solutions and other power products, announced the opening of a new engineering center of excellence in Reno, Nevada.

The facility will house the development and testing of batteries, switches, power electronics and other clean energy solutions, and is expected to bring 100 new engineering jobs to Reno over the next year.

Generac’s new engineering center on Double R Boulevard in South Meadows provides the company with a dedicated research facility to advance its clean energy storage business as well as grow its pool of engineering talent.

Rob Rogan, president of clean energy at Generac, said the company’s green energy division has been expanding to meet growing demand for home energy storage systems across the U.S. and much of the engineering talent for the solar energy storage industry resides in the western half of the United States.

“Reno is the perfect location to invest in engineering talent, and it also gives us the room we need to expand,” Rogan said. “Generac recognizes that home energy storage is a growing market, and it’s where a lot of consumers are headed when they think about energy.

“The investment in Reno is one of the first things we are doing to expand our footprint, as well as our engineering talent pool and capabilities,” Rogan added.

The new location will feature a whole-home simulation to replicate power outage scenarios and will be equipped with generators and solar panels to support the building's carbon neutrality objectives. The facility is expected to be fully operational by May 2024.

"Generac is dedicated to industry-leading research, design and production of clean energy solutions," said Tommy Joyner, vice president of Engineering, Clean Energy at Generac.

"Our new Reno facility will help empower excellent talent to expand on the progress Generac has made thus far in clean energy, as the electrification of the home drives demand for clean energy options. Generac is proud to establish a new engineering center for excellence in Reno's thriving business environment."

“It requires a lot of space to build those testing chambers and install testing equipment,” Rogan said. “The devices we are installing in homes all need to be put through rigorous long-term testing to make sure they can last in our customers’ homes for 25 or more years.”

“Quality is essential in this market – these devices go into peoples’ homes, and they expect them to work reliably for long periods of time,” he added. “In order to deliver products of that quality, you have to make significant investments in your design and testing to make sure you hit the quality marks that consumers demand. It’s absolutely critical.”

Generac has facilities worldwide and employs more than 5,000. Engineers at the Reno facility will perform testing on all those products, as well as conduct some of the engineering and R&D for next-generation energy storage solutions.

“It’s exactly what we needed,” Rogan said. “We need to order all our heavy lab testing equipment, and we needed a location that was ready for those test chambers, manufacturing testing and other heavy lab equipment. This site was perfect.”

Northern Nevada’s growing presence in the energy storage market for electric vehicles, home energy systems and electronics also proved pivotal – Generac already has succeeded in bringing additional engineering talent to the region, Rogan noted. "The talent pool in Reno has exploded."

Generac Power Systems, Inc. is a leading energy technology company that provides advanced power grid software solutions, backup and prime power systems for home and industrial applications, solar + battery storage solutions, virtual power plant platforms and engine- and battery-powered tools and equipment.

Founded in 1959, Generac introduced the first affordable backup generator and later created the category of automatic home standby generator - a market in which nearly eight of ten generators sold is a Generac. The company is committed to sustainable, cleaner energy products poised to revolutionize the 21st century electrical grid.