Despite the growing interest in renewable energy sources and climate goals aimed at reducing carbon footprints, diesel generators continue to play a crucial role in providing backup power for various operations.
- While advances in battery storage and renewable energy technology offer sustainable alternatives, they are still limited in their ability to support critical loads for extended periods. The reliability and robustness of diesel generators make them indispensable, especially for critical operations such as hospitals and data centers, says Per Lundgren, Head of Sales and Service at Elektromatik.
In a time when sustainability and environmental issues are high on the agenda, and with increasing concerns about emissions and the push for cleaner energy alternatives, the future of diesel generators may seem uncertain. However, there are several factors to consider when evaluating their prospects.
- Diesel generators are very common in the market, and many of today's diesel units can run on HVO100—a more environmentally friendly fuel than standard diesel—which makes them generally much better from an environmental perspective. Gas generators, which run only on natural gas, are not adapted and require some form of natural gas infrastructure, which we don't have in Sweden, says Per Lundgren.
Hydrogen solutions are also being presented as a current alternative for smaller installations and battery solutions. That type of generator has a relatively short operational time for delivering power to the facility, while diesel units can run as long as there is diesel.
- Diesel units are the solution for handling long outages combined with high power demands. UPS systems and other solutions are only applicable for shorter periods—minutes to a few hours. When the need is for power supply for a day or more, diesel generators are the go-to option, says Per Lundgren.
To ensure uninterrupted power supply during emergencies, without being limited by operating hours in a cost-effective way, diesel generators are both a reliable and economically sound solution.
- Diesel generators are still the most cost-effective and profitable solution on the market from a technological standpoint. They are based on an old, proven technology that allows them to run for a very long time with minimal maintenance. Over time, I believe backup power in the form of diesel generators is here to stay, concludes Per Lundgren.
