Solar & battery
Solar Generator Fuel Calculator
Fuel a backup generator burns covering the gap solar and storage cannot, and what it costs.
Result
Generators are least efficient at light load, which is why a large unit running a small load wastes fuel and wet-stacks on diesel. Consumption figures here are broad averages; the manufacturer publishes a curve for the specific unit. Sizing a generator to the surge rather than the average is the usual reason load factors end up so low.
Get a Free Business AuditQuestions
About this calculator
Why is generator power so expensive per kWh?
Fuel, inefficiency at part load, and maintenance. It is typically several times grid electricity, which is what makes battery storage attractive for short frequent outages and a generator sensible for rare long ones.
Does a bigger generator use more fuel?
At the same load, yes, noticeably. An oversized generator spends its life at a low load factor where efficiency is poor, and on diesel it also causes unburnt fuel to accumulate in the exhaust.
The formula
fuel = kWh generated x consumption per kWh x part-load penalty
Put this calculator on your site
Free to embed. Paste this where you want it to appear. It stays up to date automatically because it loads from BDEVY.
Please keep the attribution line. It is the only thing we ask in return.
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.