(solar energy in Nigeria) How reliable and sustainable it is.
Are you interested to install and use solar energy in Nigeria but don’t know how reliable the solar system is? I am going to guide you and explain everything you need to know about solar power system.
In a country like Nigeria, solar energy or solar power system is seen as an alternative power solution for the rich and not for everyone while some who can afford it still desires to know how reliable and sustainable the solar energy is in Nigeria.
Well, whatever questions you have about solar energy will be answered today on this page, all you need to do is to sit tight and read till the end. I will be sharing more information on:
- The reliability and sustainability of solar energy in Nigeria.
- How best to use a solar system to ensure reliability and sustainability.
- The cost of solar energy in Nigeria.
- Should I go for a topical inverter or solar energy
The epileptic power supply in Nigeria does nothing but push people towards solar power system. If you have any desire to install solar in your house or working place but don’t know how reliable and sustainable it is, then you will go out of this page fulfilled today.
I believe I am in the right position to share more information about the reliability and sustainability of solar energy in Nigeria because I use one myself and understands how it works. I have explained everything about the solar system in one of my post titled What is Solar Energy and How Does It Work
Outside that am also a qualified electrician before I became a full time blogger in 2014, in other words I know much about electricity irrespective of the source. So let get started.
The reliability and sustainability of solar energy in Nigeria
I started using the popular MTN Yellow box also known as MTN lumus in 2017 and that was my first experience on solar energy. The main reason why I went for the solar system was to power my laptop, phone and other minor electrical appliances.
As a blogger I needed my laptop to stay ON and connected at all times and the solar system served it’s purpose perfectly well, in fact am still using solar energy till date and I love it.
Now, the question is, how reliable and sustainable is solar energy especially in a country like Nigeria?
The honest answer to this question is that solar system is 100% reliable and as well sustainable but not that affordable. However, an average Nigerian can afford a solar system because it doesn’t have a fixed price. You can install according to the capacity you need and as well according to your pocket. Go for the one you can afford.
If you can afford between 200k to 500k then you can power a 2-3 rooms apartment or offices comfortably for days without NEPA/PHCN. What I love most about solar energy is the noiseless and flameless nature.
My neighbours always disturb me with the unfriendly sound of their generators but I enjoy the same electricity without any form of sounds or flames.
To conclude this part, the reliability and sustainablity of solar system depends on the quality of the product or materials used to install the solar system. If you use low-quality solar products then you will be experiencing series of problems and dissatisfaction.
The real deal is to install from a well known solar company that can give you a few years warranty or consult someone knowledgeable about solar power solution.
How best to use a solar system to ensure reliability and sustainability
Kindly read this part carefully because how you use a solar system determines everything, even if you can afford 5 million Naira solar system, if you fail to use it properly it will be useless. So from my experience below are the things you must do to enjoy your solar system.
- Determine the electrical appliances you wish to power with your solar system.
Unlike grid power (NEPA/PHCN) that you can plug in anything and use anything, solar system is not built to accommodate all electrical appliances without the corresponding capacity.
Example:
You can’t install a solar system with 200k and expect it to power some heavy electrical appliances like refrigerators, Air-conditioner and electrical cookers etc.
However, a solar system can surely power those heavy appliances but you must spend more money to build a corresponding capacity, capable of powering such appliances. There is no limit to what you can power with a solar system, the question is what capacity can you afford to install?
Let assume you wish to power your 2-3 bed rooms apartment with a total of 10 bulbs, 2 TV’s, 2 decoders and 5 fans plus other things like laptops and phones. You will need to spend between 300k to 600k to install a solar system with appropriate nocapacity for the job.
Moreover, you need to find a trusted solar company and installers to give you the estimate of all the things you need based on your demands.
- Use only appliances designed for solar and inverters
This is not a must but if you want to see the best of your solar system then only use electrical appliances designed for them. However, those electrical appliances are normally built to consume lesser energy.
The sustainablity of your solar system can as well be determined by the type of electrical appliances you use.
Example:
If you wish to buy Air conditioner for your solar system, go for inverter Air conditioner built to use far lesser energy compared to normal one’s.
Change all your bulbs to an LED bulbs, these type of bulbs provide the much needed brightness more than any other type and yet consumes lesser energy. Whether you are using solar energy or grid power (NEPA/PHCN) the real dear is LED lights, you won’t even notice any low current.
Feel free to check out the Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy
The cost of solar energy in Nigeria
When the idea of solar energy comes to one’s mind the next question is always the cost, most people wish to know what it takes to install a solar system in their homes and offices.
However, there is no fixed price for solar energy installation in Nigeria, what it will cost you solely depends on capacity of the solar system you want. The main components or materials needed for solar installation are:
- Solar panels
- Solar batteries
- Charge Controller
- Solar inverter
- Wires & connectors
Solar panels are used to draw and convert energy from the sun, the battery is required to store the energy for later use. Just like a smartphone battery you charge and use later.
Charger controller monitors and controls the charging of the solar system while the inverter on the other hand regulates and convert the DC (Direct Current) into AC (alternating current).
However, there other components that might be required for solar installation such as:
- Racking
- Monitoring system
- System balancing
A solar panel doesn’t go direct to the roof but usually with racking to hold and determine best angle that communicate with the sun light.
A monitoring system helps to link a concurrent inverters, and via their proprietary software they display and transmit energy system information analytics to a product console or web-connected computer.
With the help of solar system balancing component you can combine other electrical components to produce a set of options for power control and distribution for any solar system.
To get an idea of the price you can go to any reliable solar energy dealers in Nigeria but we are going to do little calculation. Let assume we need to buy these solar components one by one.
- A 200 – 300 watts solar panel cost between N30,000 – N60,000 in Nigeria.
- 100 – 200AH solar batteries cost between N100,000 – N200,000
- Charge controller cost between N30,000 – N150,000 depending on the type and brand you go for.
- A 2KVA and above solar inverter will cost between N150,000 – N400,000 or more depending on the brand.
Note: the price I wrote above is to give you a crew of what solar system equipment can cost but to get the accurate price you can go to any reliable solar dealers.
Should I go for a topical inverter or solar energy
In one of my post titled Typical Inverter system VS Solar energy, I explained everything you need to know about an inverter and solar energy. You can read it to learn more. Moreover, they are just the same but there is one thing that differentiates them.
A topical inverter does not require a solar panel to work because it can draw it’s energy from various source while on the other hand a solar power system cannot work without an inverter.
I can install an inverter and charge it with NEPA/PHCN but when you add a solar panel it becomes solar energy. What differentiate a solar system and an inverter is the solar panel.
To see the best of solar system you can use multiple sources to draw energy, for the fact that an inverter and solar system works hand in hand, you can draw energy from various sources
A solar system can charge through grid power (NEPA/PHCN) and as well as using the solar panel but it all depends on the type you want.
Using MTN Lumos as an example, it’s can’t be charged with NEPA/PHCN because they don’t design it to work that way.
Conclusion
Solar system is reliable and sustainable as long as you use the right components to build it. However, the only drawback back is the cost but the benefits are much. I use solar myself and will always use it because it gives me peace of mind.
Another thing to be aware of is the maintenance cost. To replace a solar battery, panels or other components when it becomes weak or develops a fault is always expensive but at the same time calculate the amount of money you spent on a daily basis buying fuel or gass for you generator you will understand that you are still at the safer side.
Go for solar energy if you can afford it and enjoy noiseless and flameless power solution.