Criteria | Diesel Generator | Solar Generator |
System Type | Portable diesel generator set | Portable Solar generator |
Cost | Lower initial cost, high running costs due to fuel consumption | High initial cost, virtually free for lifetime. |
Maintenance | Require periodic maintenance such as oiling of parts and replacement of moving parts | Minimum maintenance required due to no moving parts. |
Pollution | Noisy, smoke discharge and greasy residues.Also harmful for the environment | Soundless, no discharges.Environmentally friendly. |
Efficiency | Will consume fuel and produce constant energy regardless of load consumption. Most of this energy is wasted. | Will store extra energy and supply it when required. All energy is utilized. |
Cost per kWh | Increases with fuel prices | Free after sometime. |
Return on Investment | None | Cheaper than grid power over its lifetime. |
Reliability in Rugged Conditions | Will function when required, but lifetime will be shortened by environment. | Will function when required, and is ideal for sunny countries. |
Fueling Costs | Requires fuel to be transported to location and manually inserted into tank | No cost for fuel. It is automatically charging at all times in the sun. |
Set Up Time | Will have to be refueled before being used | Deployed in a few minutes. |
When Not in Use | Nothing will happen, though fuel level will have to be checked before reuse | The generator will retain charge. It will continue to charge as long as exposed to sunlight. |
Towing from Location to New Location | Refueling needed when moved to a new location | Generator will charge en-route, ready to be used when arriving at new location. |
Life Time | 3-5 years with daily use | Up to 25 years. |
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