Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment of Residential Backup Power Options: Diesel Generator, UPS, and Solar PV

Author

Sirjan University of Technology

10.48306/juem.2026.568173.1137
Abstract
The increasing energy imbalance and widespread power outages have transformed energy supply management in urban spaces into a serious environmental and infrastructural challenge. This research aims to provide a comprehensive technical, economic, and environmental assessment of three key solutions for emergency power supply (including UPS, generator sets, and photovoltaic solar systems) across three different levels of urban household consumption (high, medium, and low). The methodology involved collecting data based on current domestic market prices and real technical information extracted from field sources. The study utilized the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model and Net Present Value (NPV) analysis over a 15-year period, incorporating the effects of inflation and the discount rate, to quantitatively assess all lifecycle costs. Furthermore, the consequences of noise pollution and pollutant gas emissions from generators were considered in the analysis as critical variables affecting urban quality of life and environmental crisis management. The research findings indicated that although, in the high consumption scenario, gasoline generators (Generator Set) are considered the most economical short-term option due to their low initial investment, photovoltaic solar systems, despite their higher upfront cost, offer long-term economic savings in addition to the complete elimination of local pollutants and noise pollution in the urban environment. These findings underscore the necessity of urban policies to encourage and guide the use of clean technologies for energy sustainability in residential areas.

Keywords



Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 04 April 2026

  • Receive Date 23 December 2025
  • Revise Date 02 February 2026
  • Accept Date 21 February 2026
  • First Publish Date 04 April 2026
  • Publish Date 04 April 2026