Genset or battery? Choosing temporary power in Singapore

For years, temporary power in Singapore meant a diesel generator, or genset. Batteries now do many of the same jobs quietly and without fumes. Here's how to choose.

When a battery is the better choice

• Noise matters: residential estates, offices, night works, filming and anywhere people are working close by. A battery is practically silent.
• Indoors or enclosed spaces: no exhaust, so no fumes in basements, lobbies or tents.
• Small to medium loads: power tools, lighting, site offices, routers, laptops, fridges and fans.
• Short or stop-start use: no idling, no refuelling, no diesel storage.

When a genset still makes sense

• Very large loads such as tower cranes or big chillers.
• Heavy loads running non-stop for days with no way to recharge.

The middle ground: hybrid

On many sites the genset is oversized and runs most of the day at low load. Pairing it with a battery lets the battery cover the light hours while the genset runs less, cutting fuel use, noise and emissions. See Business & Projects for hybrid and long-term setups.

A quick sizing guide

Add up the watts of what will run at the same time (that's the power the battery must deliver). Then multiply each item's watts by its hours per day (that's the energy the battery must store). Tools with motors, such as grinders, saws and pumps, draw extra at start-up, so leave headroom. The power planner does this for you.

Where to start

• Construction & site works: site-rated batteries for tools, lighting and site offices.
• Outdoors: silent power for outdoor work, filming and off-grid spots.
• Outages & shutdowns: keep essentials on when the grid is off.