Smarter Fuel Options for Solar Hybrid Generators

Date: 29/08/25

Here at Think Hire, we’re proud to have created the UK’s first ever adaptable and scalable solar hybrid generators for sale or hire. Fully portable, dependable and sustainable, they have been bringing renewable energy to construction sites, road and rail repairs, waste and water services for over a decade. They’re even helping to power the exciting new offshore wind energy projects that are so vital to Britain’s energy security and Net Zero energy goals.

The Solartainer Versatile may be an industry first, significantly cutting CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions from sites up and down the country, but we didn’t stop there. Our expert design team knew that Think Hire could make the Solartainer Versatile even more sustainable by offering a range of alternative fuels for the back-up generators.

Sustainable back-up power too

In the original set up, the bulk of the energy produced by the Solartainer Versatile comes from solar power, with a diesel generator back-up that kicks in whenever the battery becomes depleted. This ensures continuity of supply, 24 hours a day, regardless of the weather and the associated charging capacity of the solar panels.

While this reduced carbon emissions during the solar phase, it still required the use of fossil fuels when the back-up generator was in use. Now, thanks to a range of alternatives fuels, you can cut emissions throughout your hybrid energy generation.

With the Solartainer Versatile solar hybrid generator, you can choose from four different fuels to power the back-up generator when the battery is depleted:

• Traditional diesel – traditional diesel is highly effective but it does have its disadvantages. Not only produces significant pollution, it has also risen in price in recent years following the banning of so-called ‘red diesel’ from the construction sector. While switching to a solar hybrid generator helps to cut the use of diesel, the set up can still be significantly improved by switching to cleaner burning fuels.

• HVO – HVO, or Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, is a cleaner burning, non-fossil fuel alternative to diesel that reduces carbon emissions and improves air quality by cutting particulates. HVO is chemically similar to diesel and so can be used in standard back-up generators without modifications.

• LPG – LPG, or Liquefied Petroleum Gas, may be made from propane or butane, or a mixture of the two. It is still a fossil fuel, and so is not as sustainable or renewable as HVO, but it is cleaner burning than diesel and so produces significantly less carbon emissions or particulate pollution. LPG back-up generators can be modified to burn dual-fuel (diesel and LPG) or LPG alone.

• Glycerine – our latest innovation is the Solartainer Versatile Glycerine solar hybrid generator. This has a back-up generator that is has been specially adapted to run on glycerine, which produces emissions that are up to 100 times lower than the Stage V limits. This means that these generators can be used even in city centres with strict pollution limits, such as the ULEZ zones in London.

Full solar hybrid generator support

As well as offering a choice of fuels for your solar hybrid generator, Think Hire can also support you with all the ancillaries you need to distribute and monitor your power, from plugs and leads to EMS boards, from fuel tanks to state of the art remote energy management. Think Hire Panorama, powered by Galooli, puts you in complete control of your solar hybrid generator system, whichever fuel you choose to use, helping you to further improve efficiency and performance while significantly cutting costs and emissions.

To find out more about the latest generation of sustainable solar hybrid generators, and how they can help you to reduce your environmental impact even further, contact Think Hire today on 0330 133 2222 or email info@thinkhire.co.uk.

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