My diesel generator's cost of power produced.

[Trukinbear]

Well, 'Eloise' our Cummins Onan Quiet Diesel QD8000 (8HDKAK) numbers are in for her first tank of fuel. And show her to be a couple of cents more per hour than my highly modified 10HDKAG Onan 'Ellen' that preceded her, though about 20% cheaper than the stock unmodified 10HDKAG.

In the last 98 days, Eloise ran for 262.2 hours, and consumed 147 gallons of red-dyed off-road diesel fuel oil #2, for a total cost of $459.85. This period of time is 50/50 no solar/solar as it all finally came online. This is still considerably cheaper than when I was allowed to purchase store-bought power like normal folk (no offense) as (before my house burnt down) my power bill this time of year was close to $350 though in all fairness we are much more efficient, having gotten rid of all 1960's stuff and having become much more cognizant of our actual power use. Next year I expect to average out to about $50, saving me $250 per month and giving me payback for my system of a little over three years, and even paying for the bungalow I've been building about 4 or 5 years later. You gotta love solar.

• 2.67 hours per day
• .56 gallons per hour
• $4.69 per day
• $1.75 per hour
  
  Factoring in maintenance costs (an oil/filter change)
  
  
• $5.02 total costs per day
• $1.88 total cost per generator operating hour
  
  
• 1,398 KwH produced
  
  • Average generator load 66.6% (nominal 8kw)
  • 14.4 KwH/d
  • $0.349 KwH

 

[Trukinbear]

Factoring in depreciation, and major maintenance over 10 years (assuming you'll buy a new one or do a major overhaul) changes these numbers somewhat - the above is misleading. I've got far less in this one, and I doubt I'll be here in 10 years so the first numbers mean more to me, but they did paint a rosier picture of turning diesel fuel into heat, noise, and electricity.

• $7.35 per day
• $2.75 per generator operating hour
• $0.515 per Kilowatt-hour
  
  
  
  

 

[batteryquest]

Thanks for sharing. Nice breakdown.