So far, the 21st century has been all about the world gradually shifting to using renewable sources of energy for power generation.
However, even in such a scenario, diesel gensets are considered a numero uno option for meeting power shortages for heavy-duty needs. Diesel gensets lie at the bedrock of meeting the power demands of several industries across the globe. Industries such as manufacturing, IT, mining, telecom, medical services, and many more rely on diesel gensets for smooth operations.
Through this blog post, we will talk in-depth about what the future holds for diesel gensets in the current era. But before that, let us understand their history and evolution over time.
History of Diesel Gensets
Two men have played a vital role in the invention of diesel gensets, Michael Faraday and Rudolph Diesel. It was Michael Faraday who invented the first generator. On the other hand, the first diesel engine was invented by Rudolph Diesel. It was in the year 1892 that Diesel successfully filed the patent for the engine. Later on, with several advancements, diesel engines began pairing with generators using a coupling, which eventually led to the creation of the diesel gensets that we know today.
Evolution and Technological Advancements
The 1950s and 1960s saw significant advancements in diesel gensets, with more compact and performance-driven gensets coming to the fore. One of the noteworthy innovations of this era was the introduction of electronic controls and automation. These advancements played a vital role in enhancing the overall efficiency of diesel gensets and making them more environmentally friendly.
With time, we saw off-highway diesel enginesoff-highway diesel engines become more fuel-efficient with advancements in technology. The introduction of exhaust treatment systems like Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), has drastically reduced emissions.
Let us now talk about the prospects of renewable energy sources in the current era.
The Landscape of Renewable Energy
The quest to combat pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions has led to the adoption of renewable sources of energy for power production. As per a report in the 2023 edition of the World Energy Outlook, the usage of renewable energy for power production touched 42% at a global level. Among these, hydropower accounted for 16.11%, solar for 13.25%, and wind for 10.43%.
Renewable energy sources, unlike fossil fuels, do not emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the electricity generation phase. This plays a very important role in reducing global warming and other adverse climatic changes. Renewable energy sources thereby serve as a go-to option for protecting the climate.
Challenges with Renewable Energy
Every coin has two sides to it. While the advantages of renewable energy sources are plentiful, so are their challenges. Among the more prominent ones is their high initial cost of installation. For instance, the installation cost of a large-scale solar power system is around $2000 per kilowatt.
Another major challenge is the lack of infrastructure for the smooth functioning of renewable sources of energy. Power storage is another huge drawback. Renewable energy sources generate most of their energy at a certain time of the day. Their electricity generation does not often match peak demand hours. The irregularity of sunshine and wind can not provide an on-demand power source 24 hours a week.
The lack of knowledge and awareness about renewable sources of energy makes people reluctant to use them.
Advantages of Diesel Gensets over Renewable Energy Sources
Despite several downsides, there are certain areas where the combination of diesel engines for power generation wins when pitted against renewable energy sources. Let’s have a look at some of them.
- Reliability
As opposed to renewable energy sources, which tend to depend a lot on weather conditions, diesel gensets are far more reliable. They can easily deliver consistent performance regardless of the outside weather.
- High Power Density
Solar energy has a density of 1.5 microjoules per cubic meter. In comparison to this, diesel gensets come with far greater energy density. This is another important factor that tilts the needle toward diesel gensets.
- Portability
Diesel gensets are portable and can be easily transported from one place to another. This makes them extremely convenient to use in comparison with renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
- Rapid Deployment
Diesel gensets can be installed and set up in a very short time frame, as opposed to the time taken for the installation of solar panels and windmills. This makes them a financially viable option, thereby further encouraging their usage.
The Way Forward
Despite environmental difficulties and regulations, diesel generators remain the go-to option
for industries seeking power generation. With the advancements in technology, diesel engine makers have responded to emission and noise issues with the integration of advanced emission control systems. It can clearly be said that diesel gensets are here to stay and all the assumptions about them becoming obsolete should be put to rest. Diesel generators are becoming far more environmentally friendly with time and thus will continue to remain a preferred option for meeting power requirements.
When it comes to manufacturing off-highway diesel engines manufacturing off-highway diesel engines powering gensets, MVDE has been at the forefront of it. With reliable, consistent, and high-performance engines, MVDE’s diesel engines are ready to meet all your requirements. For more information on these engines, visit the site: https://www.mhi.com/group/mvde/
