Nowadays, in spite of uninterrupted power supply to most households,
there are chances of power cuts in many situations. Since the consequences of a
power outage can be significant, natural gas backup generators have become more
common. Natural gas is most convenient to use as a fuel for backup power
generating units since the supply can be connected to your home or business’s
natural gas service. This ensures restoration of power within seconds of
detecting an outage.
Here are a few pros and cons of the use of natural gas as a fuel for
backup generators as compared to diesel.
Pros of Natural Gas as a Fuel for Backup Generator
• The advantage of using natural gas for running backup generators is
that it is cleaner, less expensive and more efficient than diesel
• In comparison
to diesel generators, the emissions of sulphur, nitrogen, and carbon
dioxide are considerably low for natural gas generators. In fact, natural gas
is one of the cleanest fuels used in generators
• Natural gas generators do not produce a pungent odor, which is common
in generators that use diesel as fuel. The emission is cleaner and odorless as
compared to diesel
• Natural gas generators have low running costs as compared to diesel
run generators because of the difference in the price of natural gas and diesel
• Since natural gas is readily available in large cities as it is
delivered directly through pipelines, there is no need to store fuel as is the
case with diesel
Cons of Natural Gas as a Fuel for Backup Generator
• Natural gas is normally not stored since it is supplied through gas
pipelines, however, in the case of natural calamities the supply of natural gas
may get disrupted. Diesel backup generators are a better alternative in such
cases
• Natural gas is highly inflammable and explosive as compared to diesel
and can be a serious fire hazard should the pipeline leak
• In comparison to diesel generators, natural gas generators emit more
carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. This certainly becomes an
environmental concern
The supply of natural gas is reliable, as the supply pipelines are
buried underground, making them less susceptible to service interruptions. This
is one of the biggest reasons behind the popularity of natural gas as the fuel
for backup generators.