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Cost comparison · 10-year TCO

Diesel generator vs battery storage — the real cost comparison.

For a typical 60 kW Indian load running 8 hours a day, the 10-year total cost of a diesel generator approaches ₹1 crore. An TOBOR BESS + solar combination comes in at ₹45–60 lakh. Here are the line items.

Calculate for my load →Download the TCO spreadsheet

10-year delta · 60 kW load

₹50L+saved

Before counting maintenance, CPCB CEMS instrumentation, engine overhaul, and the reputational cost of fumes and noise during outages.

Line-by-line TCO

10 years. Same load. Two paths.

Assumptions: 60 kW critical load, 8 h/day operation, diesel at ₹100/L, BESS+solar charges from rooftop PV + trickle grid. Real numbers vary ±15% by site — verify with the calculator.

Cost line · 10 yearsDiesel generatorTOBOR BESS + 80 kWp solar
Capex (one-time)₹4–6L (60 kVA DG + ATS)₹40–55L (MTX-H60 + 80 kWp solar)
Diesel fuel · 10 years₹1.75 Cr (17,520 L/yr × ₹100)₹0
Maintenance + AMC · 10 yr₹12L (₹1.2L/yr)₹3.5L (₹35k/yr)
CPCB CEMS · 10 yr₹2.5L (instrumentation + audits)—
Engine overhaul (year 5)₹3L—
Diesel pilferage / shrinkage₹0.4–0.8L/yr typicalZero
Cost per unit (₹/kWh produced)₹18–22₹2–3
Total 10-year outflow₹95L–1.1 Cr₹45–60L (capex-amortised)

Diesel-only sites with three-shift operations (24×7) approach ₹3 crore over 10 years. The math gets worse the longer the load runs. Use the calculator for your specific load profile.

Beyond cost

Noise, emissions, and the things you can't un-smell.

The TCO table understates the picture. Diesel comes with externalities — air-quality enforcement, noise complaints, guest experience, ESG reporting exposure — that don't show up on a P&L line.

DimensionDiesel generatorTOBOR BESS
Operating noise at 1 m~75 dB (loud truck idling)Under 50 dB (refrigerator)
Local emissions during runNO₂, PM2.5, CO, CO₂, ~2.68 kg CO₂/LZero
GRAP / AQI emergency operation (NCR)Restricted or bannedPermitted, no impact
Audit risk (Pollution Control Board)Active enforcement above 62.5 kVANot applicable
Reliability

The half-second nobody talks about.

A DG ATS gap of 5–10 seconds is long enough that lifts pause, computers reboot, and OT monitors flicker. The MTX Hybrid islands in under 10 milliseconds — fast enough that no load notices — and PTX / CTX systems switch through a site-engineered PCC breaker.

Operating dimensionDiesel generatorTOBOR BESS
Grid-to-backup transfer time5–10 seconds (ATS)Under 10 ms (MTX Hybrid) · PCC-switched on PTX / CTX
Effect on connected loadsComputers reboot, lifts pause, OT briefly dropsNo effect — load doesn't notice
Fuel supply dependencyDaily / weekly diesel deliveriesSolar + grid · no logistics
Operation in 48°C ambientDerated, harder startsActive thermal management
Maintenance windowsQuarterly oil change, half-yearly serviceRemote diagnostics, predictive alerts
Frequently asked

Buyer questions, answered.

How much does a diesel generator actually cost over 10 years?
A 60 kW DG running 8 h/day in India costs roughly ₹95 lakh over 10 years — ₹17.5L/year on diesel fuel alone (at ₹100/L), plus ~₹1.2L/year on maintenance and AMC, plus the ₹2–4L CPCB CEMS instrumentation now mandatory above 62.5 kVA, plus periodic engine overhauls.
What does a TOBOR BESS + solar replacement cost over the same period?
Roughly ₹10–14 lakh over 10 years — primarily ₹35,000/year in BMS / EMS monitoring and minor O&M. The capex is typically ₹40–55L for an MTX-H60 + 80 kWp solar, paid back in 3–4 years on diesel savings alone.
Is the cost-per-unit gap really 7–10×?
Yes. A typical 60 kW DG consumes 15 L of diesel per hour at full load. At ₹100/L, that's about ₹18–22 per kWh produced. A TOBOR BESS charged from solar plus trickle grid runs at ₹2–3 per kWh — a 7–10× cost advantage on a like-for-like basis.
Can I keep the DG as standby and use the BESS primarily?
Yes — the most common deployment. BESS handles 95% of outages and peak shaving; the existing DG stays in place for multi-hour blackouts. Many sites then shrink the DG to a smaller standby unit, avoiding the CPCB CEMS instrumentation requirement entirely.

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