Diesel generators keep many businesses in Port Harcourt, Warri and Onne running. But they are expensive to feed. Let us compare.
How to work out your diesel cost
Use this simple formula:
Litres per hour × Hours per day × Price per litre × 30 days
Example: a generator uses 2 litres an hour, runs 10 hours a day. Say diesel is ₦1,300 a litre.
2 × 10 × 1,300 × 30 = ₦780,000 a month
Then add oil changes, filters, repairs and the time the generator is down.
Side by side
| Diesel generator | Solar (hybrid) | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily cost | Fuel every hour | Almost zero |
| Servicing | Every few hundred hours | Light checks |
| Noise and fumes | Yes | No |
| Breakdowns | Common | Rare |
| Start-up cost | Lower | Higher |
| Payback | Never | Often 1 to 2 years |
The hidden costs of diesel
- Fuel scarcity. When fuel is short, you queue or close.
- Theft. Diesel and batteries get stolen.
- Downtime. A broken generator means lost sales.
- Soot. In Port Harcourt, soot is already a problem. Generators add to it.
What solar does for a business
- Power is there when the sun is up, which is when most shops are busy.
- Batteries carry the evening.
- A hybrid inverter can use grid power when PHED or BEDC supply comes.
- The generator becomes backup only. It runs for an hour, not all day.
Which businesses gain the most
- Supermarkets and mini-marts with freezers
- Pharmacies with fridges
- Offices with computers and ACs
- Cold rooms and fish sellers
- Hotels and guest houses
Read solar for small businesses in Rivers State and solar ROI for businesses.
We install business solar in Port Harcourt, Eleme, Warri and Effurun.
