Data Availability
Specific information on the number of diesel generators in the U.S. and globally is limited in the public domain. However, there are data publicly available for indicative estimates.
Estimation of Global Number of Diesel Back-up Generators
From the IFC report on fossil fuel back-up generators in developing countries, page 11 provides details on the global fleet of back up generators.
- Specifically: "Five million small diesel generators (< 60 kW) are currently deployed, accounting for 20 percent of the global fleet and the majority of diesel backup units. "
- Based on this statement, 20% of the global fleet of back-up generator = 5 million units.
- Therefore, the total number of global back up generator units are 25 million (5 million/20 x100).
- To confirm this number, we looked at the next statement: "Medium (60 to 300 kW) and Large (> 300 kW) sized diesel generators together account for around 2 percent of the global fleet and 10 percent of diesel generating sets (0.5 million units)."
- From this statement, 2% of the global fleet of back-up generator =0.5 million units.
- Therefore, the total number of global back up generator units are 25 million (0.5 million/2 x100).
- From industry reports, diesel generators account for the maximum portion of the global generators market. One report estimates that diesel generators hold "over 70% of the overall revenue share in the global generator market."
- Assuming that this proportion in revenue share is also similar in number of units, then the global number of diesel back-up generators can be estimated at 17.5 million (70% of 25 million).
Other Insights
- From the IFC report, the 0.5 million units of "medium- and large-sized diesel generators" deployed in the modeled countries in the report represent 10% of the global number of diesel back-up generators. Therefore, the total number of medium- and large-sized diesel generators, globally, can be estimated at 5 million units (0.5 million/10 x 100).
- From industry reports, the annual installation of diesel generators is "anticipated to exceed 3,000 thousand units by 2027."
Summary
- In this preliminary hour of research, we did not find a precompiled number of units for diesel generators globally and in the U.S. However, from available data points, we have triangulated and provided an indicative estimate of diesel back-up generators globally. To provide the estimate, we have assumed that the data in the IFC report is indicative of the present day market, and that the proportion of revenue share of the diesel segment in the larger generator market is the same in number of units.
- With further research, we could triangulate and provide an indicative estimate of the number of diesel back-up generators in the U.S.
- Further research may also provide an estimate for the number of diesel generators in use globally by sector such as emergency response or remote operations like logging, mining or oil and gas production. The sectors provided will be determined by data availability.