Hybrid Power Solutions for More Sustainable Portable Power

Looking for ways to make your jobsite more sustainable and reduce your carbon footprint without blowing your budget? Battery energy storage systems are transforming portable power and making generator use more sustainable. United Rentals recently added these energy storage systems to its rental fleet to help customers meet their sustainability goals.

What is a battery energy storage system?

Composed of high-density lithium batteries, inverters and load-sensing technology, battery energy storage systems (BESS) store energy from a power source such as a generator.

As the generator runs, it recharges the BESS batteries. When demand for power is reduced, the BESS shuts off the generator and carries the load on its own. When the batteries near depletion or demand for energy increases again, the BESS instructs the generator to turn on.

Benefits of a hybrid power system

A hybrid power system consisting of a BESS and generator slashes emissions and fuel consumption compared to using a diesel generator alone. When a lower-emissions propane or natural gas generator is paired with a BESS, the system yields even greater emissions reductions and fuel savings. A zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell generator paired with a BESS is the ultimate clean power generator.

In addition to curbing emissions and shrinking spending on fuel, hybrid power solutions significantly reduce generator maintenance by slashing wear and tear on the machine. By minimizing generator run time, they also cut down on jobsite noise.

To help customers understand the benefits of these systems, the cost savings they enable and the generators they work with, United Rentals released the United Rentals Hybrid Power Solutions white paper.