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A standby generator only helps during an outage if it actually starts and runs the way it is supposed to, and most homeowners have no way of checking that unless they walk outside and look at it. A Briggs & Stratton EnergyTrak installation solves that by wiring in a monitoring module that reports the generator’s status to the EnergyTrak app, so an outage, a fault, or a maintenance need shows up on a phone instead of going unnoticed. Following up on the full generator installation featured earlier in this series, our crew walked through installing a Briggs & Stratton EnergyTrak monitoring system on the same unit. Here is what that install actually involves.
What the Monitoring System Adds
At its core, the EnergyTrak module is a small piece of telemetry equipment. It monitors both generator status and utility power status before reporting that information through the EnergyTrak platform using an embedded cellular connection, allowing homeowners to monitor the generator remotely. Instead of finding out a generator failed to start only after the power has already been out for hours, a homeowner gets a notification when something needs attention and can check in on the unit’s status at any time without walking outside.
Wiring the Module In
A Briggs & Stratton EnergyTrak installation follows a specific sequence, and it starts before any wiring begins. The crew records the generator’s serial number directly off the unit for documentation, since the module has to be matched to the correct generator. The mounting template that comes with the kit gets trimmed to size and taped onto the unit, then leveled with a small magnetic level before anything gets drilled or wired.
From there, the wiring follows the module’s own terminal map closely. The fault wire gets stripped and shares the terminal at DIG OP pin 8 with an existing wire. After the two wires are twisted together, they are plugged back into the terminal block. Battery positive and battery negative wires are stripped and landed on their designated terminals, separate from the transfer wire, which connects to a different pin on the same board using its own wiring harness.
The voltage sensor is its own small project. It plugs into the generator’s sense connection, and the wire has to be routed through a drilled opening in the enclosure. That hole gets marked first, then drilled carefully, since the crew has to watch for wiring already running just behind the panel and stop before drilling through it. Once the hole is open, the sensor wire gets routed through it, kept clear of the freshly cut metal edge so nothing rubs or chafes over time, and the sensor itself gets mounted with two screws and zip-tied in place to meet the manufacturer’s specifications.
A second sensor wire, the utility sense wire, follows a similar path and taps into the incoming utility power connection. That connection lets the module distinguish between generator power and restored utility power, which is the whole point of the system: knowing whether the home is running on utility or generator power in real time, whether it is a homeowner checking the app or a technician monitoring the system remotely. The kit also includes a brown and yellow auxiliary wire pair that is not used in a standard installation. Rather than leaving them loose, the crew coils them up and zip-ties them out of the way in case they are ever needed for an add-on sensor down the road.
Monitoring Across the Black Hills
Power outages do not affect every part of the Black Hills the same way, and that is exactly why remote monitoring matters here.
A ranch outside Hermosa or Black Hawk can lose power for hours before anyone notices, while a home in Rapid City might see the lights flicker back on within minutes.
Homeowners in Hot Springs, Piedmont, Sturgis, Spearfish, and Belle Fourche all deal with the same reality: rural distances, harsh winters, and utility lines that do not always recover quickly. A generator that reports its own status closes that gap, whether the property sits in town or well outside it.
None of this wiring is visible once the generator’s cover goes back on, but it is the difference between a generator that quietly reports its own status and one that only tells a homeowner something is wrong after the fact. If you are considering a whole-home generator with this kind of built-in monitoring, or want to know how remote status reporting fits into an ongoing maintenance routine, a Briggs & Stratton EnergyTrak installation is worth asking about when you plan a generator installation.
Reach out to our team and we can walk you through what monitoring options make sense for your home.
