What is DG | Measure Your DG Efficiency | Factech
Contents
What is DG Efficiency
DG Efficiency stands for Distributed Generation Efficiency. Fuel is the major portion of diesel Genset, owning and operating cost for power applications. Modern diesel plant, at its near-optimal loading ( 65- 70%) generate 3.3 to 3.5 kWh per litre. That is a 30% fuel efficiency ratio.
What is DG in Electrical?
DG in electrical stands for Diesel Generator, which is a power backup system used to generate electricity during power cuts or interruptions in the main power supply. It converts diesel fuel into electrical energy and helps maintain uninterrupted operations in commercial buildings, factories, hospitals, data centers, residential complexes, and corporate offices. DG sets are especially important for facilities where continuous power supply is critical for equipment, security systems, lighting, elevators, HVAC systems, and daily operations.
A Diesel Generator mainly consists of an engine, alternator, fuel system, battery, cooling system, and control panel. When a power outage occurs, the DG automatically or manually starts generating electricity and supplies backup power to connected systems. Facility managers regularly monitor DG performance, fuel consumption, running hours, load capacity, and maintenance schedules to ensure efficient operation and avoid unexpected breakdowns. Modern DG monitoring systems also provide real-time alerts, automated reporting, and performance tracking for better energy and facility management.
Why measure DG Efficiency?
Whether it is an office space, shopping mall, corporate park, or a residential society, you can not find any property without Power Back up.
As saying goes, if you want to improve anything, start measuring that.
Reasons to improve efficiency
Higher efficiency means low cost, higher productivity. Few reasons, DG efficiency needs to be improved:
- Lower Cost: Fuel, is a scarce resource, costly, and needs to be used intelligently.
- Environment Friendly: More efficient is our DG, lesser the pollution generated by it.
And it is always better if we can measure and track the efficiency in real-time.
How you measure your DG Efficiency?
A diesel generator (also known as diesel genset) is the combination of a diesel engine with an electric generator (often an alternator) to generate electrical energy.
How to calculate DG Efficiency
In simple terms:
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“The generator efficiency is calculated by units generated/diesel consumed”.
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Another Way to calculate DG efficiency is:
British Thermal Units ( BTU)
Click here for DG Efficiency Calculator
IoT Edges and AI
Any CAFM, CMMS, or Asset Performance Monitoring system can show the DG efficiency in real-time. This can be achieved by any of the below approaches.
Integration with Building Management System
If you have already a DG controller installed, then CAFM system can be integrated easily with your existing DG controllers, which can then run analytics to give you insights into your DG
IoT Sensors ( Edges)
Another way is to install IoT sensors at the DG Control Unit to track output and another sensor on the diesel Tank. Any good CAFM system will provide the integration points with the IoT Edges.
What are the benefits of DG Monitoring
- Keeps track of fuel consumed,
- Stops fuel theft
- Reduces manual dependency reducing operational costs by half and
- Saves you a lot of money.
Kaizen System for Asset Performance Monitoring
Kaizen by Factech helps you in monitoring your assets in real-time. With personalized and configurable dashboards, you get what is important for you.
Benefits of DG Monitoring in Kaizen CAFM
- Monitor the critical parameters of every DG in real-time and receive alerts via SMS/Email for immediate actions.
- Turn your DG sets on/off remotely from anywhere by eliminating manual handling and experience increased user convenience.
- Receive daily, weekly, or monthly reports on daily fuel consumption rate and easily identify a mismatch in energy produced and fuel consumed.
- Detects potential mechanical problems
- Root cause analysis
- Remote management
- Predictive maintenance
- Real-time fuel/leak monitoring
Maintenance and Checklist
Below is a list of few good articles for maintenance and checklists
Break down Maintenance Practices
Maintenance Process with E-Checklist and Technician Mobile App
Preventive Maintenance Checklist
DG Power Monitoring in Facility Management
DG Power monitoring helps organizations track and manage electricity generated through Diesel Generators during power outages or backup operations. Facility teams use DG power data to monitor fuel consumption, generator performance, operational efficiency, running hours, and power usage across sites.
Proper DG power monitoring helps reduce energy wastage, prevent unexpected breakdowns, improve maintenance planning, and ensure uninterrupted power supply in commercial buildings, industries, hospitals, and corporate facilities. With digital monitoring systems, facility managers can access real-time DG performance reports, automate tracking processes, and maintain better control over overall power management operations.
