From wind turbines in the countryside to solar panels on the roofs of houses, signs of renewable energy’s increasing popularity are everywhere. This greener form of energy has more than doubled in usage in the last decade, with wind and solar at the forefront of its growth. From 2021-2022, renewable energy accounted for 9% of Australia’s total power consumption.

What kind of effect has this shift had on generators? Generators are machines that convert mechanical processes into electricity for both commercial and residential use. It’s probably no surprise that as the trend towards renewables continues, solar and solar hybrid generators have become increasingly popular. Yet the sun isn’t the only sustainable fuel source powering the modern generator market.

As more homeowners and businesses prioritise being eco-conscious and reducing their carbon footprints, the future, including the future of generators, looks like a renewable one. As a business owner, you may wonder what kind of portable renewable energy generators are available, what they run on and how they compare to traditional fuel sources like diesel.

Total Generators are used to staying on top of industry trends. With more than 25 years of powering some of the biggest industries in Australia, we can ensure that your generator’s performance remains consistent and its power output stays reliable.

From solar-powered generators to wind, tidal and hybrid-fuelled models, here’s the Total Generators guide to portable renewable diesel generators: the future of renewable energy.

The Renewable Energy Generators Available

While diesel fuel remains a reliable option for generators, there are several common fuel sources on the market, helping both businesses and regular energy users make the transition to renewables.

Solar generators

Solar generators use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity. Essentially, the unit of a solar generator consists of a solar panel that collects energy from the sun’s rays and a power station that stores it in batteries. Solar generators are very popular as portable renewable energy generators as their clean energy can power both large and small devices.

Wind turbines

Wind turbines capture the wind’s kinetic energy (the energy of its motion) and turn it into electrical energy. Wind-powered generators have the advantage of being operable day and night, and in 2020, wind was Australia’s leading source of clean energy.

Hydrogen generators

As a generator fuel source, hydrogen is used in construction and mining and can safely power everything from food trucks to telecommunications towers. It has the potential to eventually transition some of the world’s leading CO2 generators to a greener power source.  

Biomass power generators

Biomass fuel is generated when organic materials like crops and wood are burned and converted into liquids or gas. While biomass is renewable because it comes from organic materials, its sustainability depends greatly on how land and technology are used in its cultivation.

Geothermal generators

Geothermal energy uses steam or hot water collected from underground reservoirs. Geothermal energy is relatively stable and can be useful for baseload power.

Tidal stream generators

The ocean is a vast, deep resource, and both tidal movements and ocean waves provide sustainable sources of energy. Tidal stream generators (or tidal turbines) are machines that extract energy from moving masses of water the same way wind turbines draw power from the air.

Hybrid generators

Solar hybrid generators combine energy from photovoltaic cells with other sources like diesel or gas. A solar and diesel hybrid generator is the most common combination, and it’s an effective one that ensures your generator can remain running in all conditions.

The Environmentally-Friendly Benefits of Renewable Energy Generators

The benefits of renewable energy use apply just as much to generators as they do to any other device that runs on electricity. Energy production is the number one contributor to Australia’s CO2 emissions, and C02 is the most prevalent of greenhouse gases. Some of the biggest benefits of using a solar-powered generator, solar hybrid generator or another renewable energy generator include:

Produced using abundant resources

Unlike fossil fuels, fuel sources such as sunlight, wind and water occur abundantly in nature and are consistently replenished.

No greenhouse gas emissions

Renewable fuel sources don’t produce greenhouse gas, which reduces air pollution and helps to mitigate the effects of climate change. 

Reduced dependence on imported fuels

Using these naturally occurring fuel sources, which are abundant in Australia, reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels from overseas.

Improved air quality

Transitioning to renewable energy away from fossil fuels helps reduce the number of harmful pollutants like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the air.

Water conservation

Unlike traditional power plants, renewable energy technologies require little to no water for cooling. By contrast, producing energy using fossil fuels requires large amounts of water, which can be challenging in a dryer country such as Australia.

Specs Comparison: Renewable Energy Vs Diesel Generators

Much of the work that requires generators (e.g. mining) takes place in rural and remote locations far from the main power grid or any other reliable energy source. In these kinds of areas, solar and diesel are usually your only options unless you have access to a large body of water nearby.

Solar generators have higher initial costs but far lower running costs than diesel generators, which require regular fuel top-ups, filter changes and cleaning. Solar generators also tend to have longer life cycles than diesel models, which require more ongoing maintenance to stay in good shape. While solar generators run on an independent energy source, the fuel for diesel generators is subject to supply chain disruptions. It also requires special storage measures.

However, the popularity of solar hybrid generators is driven by the fact that solar and diesel fuel often have a deeply symbiotic and complementary relationship. While weather conditions like clouds and wind can affect solar reliability, diesel fuel provides a continuous power supply regardless of weather conditions. When the energy load is high, solar panels allow you to reduce the amount of diesel fuel you have to use. When something comes up that interferes with the efficiency of solar, diesel ensures that operations stay up and running.

Buy or Hire Renewable Energy Generators from Total Generators

If you’re looking for hybrid solar generator hire, Total Generators can offer a range of renewable energy generation and storage systems. Our solar/hybrid system consists of a modular transportable container and towable trailer-mounted unit with the latest solar, battery, inverter, and generation technology. Its continuous power supply can be deployed Australia-wide.

If you’d prefer to buy, we’re your one-stop shop for generator sales and power equipment supplies, with some of the biggest names in the business as our power partners. Our options include construction and industrial, mining and standby generators from brands like Cummins, Powerlink, Denyo and Pramac.

A national supply and power service company with offices in Brisbane, Moranbah and Cloncurry in Queensland and Katherine, NT, Total Generators is committed to quality outcomes and to safety-minded and customer-focused values. We’re the supplier of choice for many remote mines, utility providers, construction projects and more.

Do you have a project in mind and want some advice on what kind of generator would be best for you? Contact Total Generators for an assessment of your power supply needs and a free quote.