Diesel Power? What about solar? What about the environment; don't diesel engines use fossil fuels and create pollution? What about political correctness?
We want to look at a diesel generator as a very efficient component of an independent energy system. The key is to observe a few basics: make the generator part of the system instead of a sole source of power.
Making the generator “part of the system” means that it is always working in conjunction with the rest of the system. If at all possible, operate the generator only when power demand is higher than what the alternative system can supply. And during those times, the difference between the power you are actually using and the full potential of the machine should be going into a battery bank.
There are few solar installations that don't require some generator backup occasionally. A generator is necessary when weather conditions do not favor solar or wind energy generation. Scheduled generator usage is normally planned as part of a well-designed installation. On such an occasion the generator is run all day long, and any surplus power (the difference between what the generator will produce and what is being used), gets sent to the storage batteries. Operating a generator at near its full potential is the most efficient use of the machine.
So, since a generator will be required in just about any beyond-the-grid installation, why not have it be a machine that's designed for serious use instead of a home-handyman unit that's specifically designed for light-duty, intermittent use?