'Green' portable generators.

[Pizzaiolo]

Hi everyone.

Can anyone tell me anything about portable generators that run on a 'green' source of energy?, bio-fuel, solar etc? Basically any kind of portable generator that's greener than the average kind.
Are there companies that can supply these? I would need one for a mobile catering unit.

I've had a good look around the internet and have emailed a few smallish-looking outfits but have had no reply in a couple of days.

They would be needed to power four, possibly five smallish appliances (mini fridges, food display units, small commercial oven etc).

(I've also posted this in the 'general business' section. Apologies to mods if it's posted in the wrong place)

Cheers.

 

[j_harrion01]

It is a device which provides temporary electrical power. if you hope to run your household via generator during a power failure, you'll need considerably more current. If you plan to run power to your whole house via a single generator, you'll need to have an electrician install a power transfer switch into your home electrical system; this is the only way anything hard-wired into your system

 

[kelvin1950]

It is a device which provides temporary electrical power. if you hope to run your household via generator during a power failure, you'll need considerably more current. If you plan to run power to your whole house via a single generator, you'll need to have an electrician install a power transfer switch into your home electrical system; this is the only way anything hard-wired into your system

Must be me but I thought he said

I would need one for a mobile catering unit.

I may be mistaken though.

 

[ContractSafe]

Any diesel powered generator can run bio diesel, this is something I got heavily into before used cooking oil became a commodity rather than a waste product. Most need no modifications to run but some need the provision of a bosch fuel pump. there is a lot of information online regarding it. I regularly used to use a bio diesel powered genie to power all kinds of equipment and my mate runs bio diesel to power all of the equipment on stage and music festival/events.

 

[Pizzaiolo]

oh have you found one. I am really interested

Hi Mimilovell. No, I didn't find anything. I looked into using recycled cooking oil as a biofuel, but it would probably create too much of a smell for what I want to use it for...
I also looked into solar energy, but was advised by a few companies that it wouldn't generate enough power for what I wanted to use it for.

 

[ContractSafe]

As long as your process converts oil to diesel fully there wont be any smell. The smell is caused by FFAs (free fatty acid) and BCBs (burnt crispy bits) in the oil. Bio diesel is an exact science but it is easy as hell to learn, When I was making and using bio diesel a while ago I made my own processor and it cost me about £40. I also once bought an additive of ebay that makes exhaust fumes smell like cherry!! The other option that is available is called black diesel it does not count as a bio fuel so you have to pay fuel duty on it. Black diesel is made with a mixture of old oil (engine oil, gearbox oil,hydrolic oil) small amounts of acetone and petrol. Even though you have to pay duty garages will give you the stuff for free as it costs so much to dispose of oil. its well worth a look for the sake of a pump and some micron filters there is some serious money to be saved and it helps the planet.

 

[Pizzaiolo]

As long as your process converts oil to diesel fully there wont be any smell. The smell is caused by FFAs (free fatty acid) and BCBs (burnt crispy bits) in the oil. Bio diesel is an exact science but it is easy as hell to learn, When I was making and using bio diesel a while ago I made my own processor and it cost me about £40. I also once bought an additive of ebay that makes exhaust fumes smell like cherry!! The other option that is available is called black diesel it does not count as a bio fuel so you have to pay fuel duty on it. Black diesel is made with a mixture of old oil (engine oil, gearbox oil,hydrolic oil) small amounts of acetone and petrol. Even though you have to pay duty garages will give you the stuff for free as it costs so much to dispose of oil. its well worth a look for the sake of a pump and some micron filters there is some serious money to be saved and it helps the planet.

Hi ContractSafe.
Thanks for your post, very informative. Ha, I love 'BCB's' for burnt crispy bits.
So are you saying that i'd be able to power the 5 or so items I mentioned in my opening post using a generator that runs on either recycled vegetable oil or the black diesel you mentioned? And are you saying that it's relatively simple to convert used cooking oil into bio diesel? You'll have to forgive me as I know absolutely nothing about biodiesel or green energy.
The reason I posted this thread in the first place is I was thinking of applying to my local council for a pitch to trade from, and as well as being better for the environment and (hopefully) cheaper, I was hoping if I used a green energy source for power it'd hold me in good stead as far as my application is concerned.
Cheers,
Alex.

 

[ContractSafe]

Alternative fuels sparked my interest while I was studying chemistry at a level and is something I toy around with for fun a good many years on and have had some great successes. Bio diesel is very easy and you dont need any experience as far ad science goes, many people who successfully make huge batches of quality bio diesel don't know any more about the process than following the instructions. as long as you measure the ingredients properly as they have to be very exact you will be fine and there are lots of resources available for free that guide you through the process for free (us hippie types don't feel its right to charge for this info) the basic principal is you mix either sodium hyrdoxide or potasium hydroxide (Caustic soda is the most common) with methanol, which makes methoxide you then mix the methoxide. while that is settleing down and cooling (its gets insanely hot) you filter the "BCBs" (i like that phrase too I laughed for weeks the first time I saw it!) out and warm the oil to evaporate any water in the oil, you then mix the methoxide into the oil agitate it and leave it for a few hours. when you come back there will be 2 layers, glycerin on the bottom and bio diesel on top seperate these and then you need to wash the bio diesel with water most people add a bucket of fresh water and use an aquarium bubbler to blow gentle bubbles through. again leave to seperate and bish bash bosh bio diesel. Black diesel is much faster as its a bit of filtering and a bit of mixing but does not count as a bio fuel so you dont get your 2500lt tax free allowance but the fuel duty is about 30p a litre i think and seeing as the oil is free it becomes very cheap very quick. As long as your generator can output the power needed to run the machines the fuel will not affect it. Personally I would opt for the Bio diesel or even to get you started a 70/30 mix of fresh oil and diesel. Bio diesel has a very good effect on diesel engines it makes them last longer, they go longer between service intervals and its leaves absolutely no carbon deposits inside the engine, I have striped back a landrover discover TD engine that ran on diesel for 20 odd years and then ran bio diesel for 2 months and you would have thought it was brand new looking inside! I would certainly imagine it would put you in better stead with your application as you are showing environmental consciousness. I will PM a couple of resources about bio diesel, they are worth having a look at even if you decide to take a different route, it is still very interesting.