Making the move to solar energy and battery backup is a significant step toward sustainability and energy security. But it often leaves many wondering about the fate of their trusty old generators. If you’re one of the many who have decided to take the leap to solar and battery power, you might be asking, “What will we do with our generator when we get solar?” Let’s explore the practical options available to you.
Firstly, while designing your solar system, consider integration rather than elimination. Your generator can serve as backup to the backup battery – optimising the size of the battery and materially reducing the cost of the new system.
When integrated with battery storage and the grid, solar power systems provide reliable power during scheduled load shedding events. However, they may fall short during prolonged unscheduled outages, especially if combined with severe weather or when the demand exceeds the stored power. This is where your existing generator can serve as a backup to your backup.
A well-integrated system will switch to generator power automatically when the solar batteries are low and the grid is not available, ensuring continuous power supply.
Make sure to consult with a solar energy expert to properly integrate your generator with your new solar setup.
On a sunny day, having solar panels doesn’t mean you’re immune to load shedding or unscheduled power outages, especially if your system isn’t equipped with battery storage. Here, your generator can still function as a safety net. It would run to fill any gaps between demand and solar generation, and to provide a reference frequency to the solar system. If you’re worried about diesel costs, the good news is that generators can operate in fuel-saver mode. In this mode, they run at about 30 or 40% of capacity, thus reducing fuel consumption. For this kind of system to work well, regular maintenance is crucial to ensure the generator is ready to run when you need it most.
Your trusty generator may not be right for your requirements once you get the solar system and backup batteries. You might have run it too long and too hard, or it might be too large to be fit for purpose. It could be time to consider replacing your generator with an upgraded or more efficient model.
Options include converting an existing business or residential complex diesel generator to run on a 70:30 blend of natural gas and diesel. This would significantly reduce the operating cost of the generator. Or, if you must replace the generator completely, a new 100% gas generator might be a possibility. Gas can either be piped, if the building is in a reticulation area, or supplied from trailer-based compressed natural gas.
If the financial implications of replacing your generator outright are putting you off even considering this option, you should know that the entire cost could be included in your overall solar system financing solution. Here, it is key to find the right solar energy partner – one that also has expertise in working with generators.
For those deeply committed to environmental sustainability, keeping a fossil fuel-powered generator as part of your energy system may seem contradictory. But a properly integrated solar and battery solution will vastly reduce the amount of fossil fuels consumed, and the existing generator can serve to materially reduce the size and cost of the new system. And should South Africa’s grid power improve, it is the generator that will be retired first.
Solar power installations represent the future of energy for many South African businesses and residential complexes, but these by no means make your generator obsolete. Your generator will likely still have a place in your energy plan. The transition to solar isn’t just about embracing new power sources. It’s about smartly managing the resources you already have, to ensure an affordable, seamless and sustainable power supply.
