First of all,I am a bit confused as to why Nigerians don't use Solar power,are we that addicted to NEPA and noisy generators?
Japan,indonesia and alot of european countries (UK not included) are beginning to embrace solar energy.
I guess we are waiting for america to make it a trend before we pick up on it.

What are the pros and cons?
*)We have abundant sun,
*)Solar system is efficient and does not need much maintenance in comparison to gens,
*)is not noisy
*)charges in the the daytime and you can use is for hours in the night.
*)does not need diesel to operate.
*)COST EFFECTIVE!!! I heard of a company that sells a home unit for $600 in South africa.
How much do we spend on a gen,maintain it and top it up with diesel for a year in comparison?

I would be interested in getting information on any solar energy providers in Nigeria. Does anyone know?

solar system here in american almost close to $30,000, i was trying to put it on top of my house until i knew how much. if it is that cheap in south africa everyone in nigeria should have it by now

haba 30K !!!

I am talking about solar for residential use and not industrial.

A 2meter * 2meter solar panel should be sufficient to light up a house (maybe your TV too but not the fridge)


there are different types of Solar systems.Some for supplying heat to the house,the other just to light it up.
If you browse the internet you will come across cheap solar systems. I allready have a supplier who sells a mobile
unit for $1500 in yanky.
I was only hoping I could get it in Nigeria so I don't go through the expense of importation.

if it will cost $1,500 everyone here in america will have it by now. i live in yankee. $1,500 is my mortgate payment every month. i would have put one in my house right now. my gas bill is $500 just to heat my house, electri bill is $100 per month. give me that person's phone so i can get me one for my house

@doespiner ,the materials here may not cost you that much but the labor here is always more expensive than materials, i am into real estate here in america too. i looked into that solar system here it will cost you close to $30,000. i have a neighbor here that have it by my house.

@doespinner,

I am interested in solar as well. Please educate me some more.

Also, if you have the details of the South African company, post it here.

@doespinner,

I came across this interview which stated that for as little as N50,000, electricity can be provided in homes through solar technology

pls read more: http://www.nigerianmuse.com/projects/EnergyDevelopmentProject/_With_N50_000_electricity_can_be_provided_in_most_rural_homes_through_solar_technology_says_Owelle_in_an_INTERVIEW

once again to those in yankee, I can imagine that your solar systems would cost you $30K becos you guys want to power all watts hungry gadgets in the house, in NAIJA we will be happy to have constant light in the palor and have the tv running in the eve.
Now you don't need £30K to light up a bulb and power ur flatscreen!

google solar panel to see online prices and visit this url to learn about the technology.
http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/995469913_2.html

Hi House,

Our Power problems is about to end permanently. We have just incorporated Green Energy Solutions Technology (Nig); a partner company with Green Energy Solutions Technology (USA) to bring an end to this problem in Nigeria. With solar energy or wind energy, you can have your house powered 24/7 without support from the National grid. If your power network at home is grid-tied, you can even return excess power to the utility!!!

Watch out for this technology in Nigeria very soon.

Count yourself lucky to be among the first to read this.

For further enquiries; contact gestllc@hotmail.com

Solar energy need is upgradeable, that means you can increase the number of solar panels to suit your needs at any point in time.
For example you can purchase a two dual face solar panel rated at 53volts that gives you 103volts when connected in parrarrel, with dc output of btw 14 to 18volts.

To convert this generated dc into alternating current, you have to purchase according to your need a pure sine wave inverter of either 1.5kva or 2.5kva or maximum of 5kva, you will obtain a precise ac volts 220volts during daytime or less in cloudy weather, if you have a 5kva inverter, it can power a fridge, 3/4hp ac, tv,lights, fan that are rated in ac volts etc.

Then to use same at night your requirement of a deep cycle battery will be 2 500volts amp connected in parrallel, an over charging switch to cut off the charging of the solar panel when the deep cycle battery reaches its charging limits, while you re using the sun power during the daytime, the system automatically switches over to battery power when the sun goes down.

But for a well friendly solar powered home, i recommended that all appliances be rated in dc. this will go a long way to save the battery energy.For a maximum concentration of sun energy on the panel you all ought to fix the panel at angle of 15 degree btw east and west.
Inverter can be bought at Alaba, Onitsha markets, Solar panel you can source it thru internet www.asiansources.com or www.globalsources.com

Hi, your question seem so straight forward and the answer almost everywhere i wonder why the question is still in here. to set up a simple solar power unit for lighting, TV, sound syste
and a fan or two, 1,500USD will not do. you might be looking at about 10,000USD. i have a modest knowledge about this thing, and forget what else you hear. much as you want to save money, a key element in solar power is autonomy (the length of time a unit will stay without sunlight and still provide electric power from the battery back-up).
thee varying waether state means you have to plan for abut 72hours of such autonomy. except maybe you still plan on using generators as often as the sun decides to go on hols. feel free to ask a more direct question at no cost. i will provide same.

.

Solar energy is the future for Africa and the entire world, it will save the world alot for air polution and noise polution " You all know what i mean "

Solar energy is the future for Africa and the entire world, it will save the world alot from air polution and noise polution " You all know what i mean "

It is amazing how cheap and effective solar energy can be in Nigeria. I installed one for my mother in Ibadan about 5 years ago and the system is still in place working fine. It consists of two module panels mounted on the rooftop each generating about 150wats. An heavy duty battery purposely mage for solar was used. The whole idea was purely to provide light for my mother who has poor sight. Though the solar sometimes used to power a 14in TV and a portable fan. It doesnt power heavy duty stuff such as iron, fridge etc. Another bonus is that my mum's phone is always fully charged!

Five years! no petrol/dessiel and is virtually mentanance free. At that time it cost me about £1200. And I tell you, it has been a bargain! All materials are available online and there are technicians in Nigeria

That price probably doubled by now. The PV module alone will cost you about $1200.00, then the inverter, battery, cables, charge controller will cost about the same amount if not more. One draw back about solar energy is that it's not cheap. The more wattage/Amperage you need, the cost tend to triple to say the list. At the moment, it is not cost efficient.

hey guys! solar is great but far less efficient than other energy sources. its highest efficiency is about 24%. in essence u'll need a lot of panels to power your whole house and more panels mean more money. however, it can be designed to power your basic electrical needs like powering phones, fans, Tv e.tc and collectively these devices would need less than 500watts. The initial cost for acquiring a solar power generating set is much depending on your load demand. maintenance is not entirely free but so low cos u might need to change batteries, circuit breakers e.tc it all depends if u can get original products sha! thats said, our best choice in Nigeria is a Hybrid power source ( solar + Generator + NEPA) u'll be guaranteed 100% power

My company is bringing a new product to Nigeria. Solar, wind and battery combined for both residential and large scale purposes. The home units are wind turbine and battery and the solar can be configured to it if requested at an extra costs. Unlike the solar panels, this is like our normal electric pole but rounded and it is mounted like the electric pole. We have 3.5kw, 8,5kw and 12kw and the prices are 3m, 5m and 7,5m respectively. It works 24/7, quiet and no maintainance. Lifespan is 30years. Calculate your initial investment and divide by 30years then you will understand it is value for money.

Any more information contact Engr Ayo 08060240322 or Favour 0044 7930890642 / 0803 426 8097 (when in Nigeria) or visit www.mahoboth.co.uk

This combi is the best for our climate utilising both wind and sun so it can work at all times regardless of the weather.

The following company advertised sometime ago in Nigeria. They are based in the Netherlands and Nigeria. Check their website at: http://www.ecoru.com

Their Nigeria contact details are:

Ecoru LTD.
BHA suite
207 Road E-close
Festac Town,
Lagos, Nigeria
Email: info@ecoru.com
Phone: +234 (0)1-8517506

Hi guys, here is an Ebay shop that sells stuff to do with Solar pannels, this will give you an Idea of cost
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-x-80-Watt-solar-panel-80W-PANNEAU-SOLAIRE-Placa_W0QQitemZ190304685796QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Gadgets?hash=item190304685796&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A2%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A24
just copy and paste on ur browser.

Thanks.

Solar energy thats what we need

@ ALL

Does any body know someone who is ALREADY using this energy technology
successfully in Nigeria ? Can we have some firsthand testimonials of effectiveness ?

AT @

Please check this solar company, they will be live in Nigeria this Sep. 2009

http://www.ucgsolar.com/

$30k what are u trying to power

Ulamaster:

@ ALL

Does any body know someone who is ALREADY using this energy technology
successfully in Nigeria ? Can we have some firsthand testimonials of effectiveness ?

? my dad does and it is brilliant. i will add that if you live in the Uk maplin does small ones about £120 you can easily power a room or 2 successfully. someone i know mum use this in the village and it works well

Solar in the short run is not as cheap as people portray it to be. To be able to use solar enery you need solar panels, charge controller, inverter and deep cycle batteries. An 80watts solar panel will cost you around N75,000 and this can just be used to charge a 100amps battery. On an 800watts inverter (which is just equivalent to I better pass my neighbour generator), it will only supply energy for maximum of 4hours. If you need it to last longer, you will need more battery amps, that will also mean you need more solar panels. If you want to energy which is enough to power your house for a whole day, you will need nothing less than 600watts solar panel which is around N570k. Also deep cycle batteries are very expensive. A 200amp battery goes for N45,000 and you will need nothing less than five of such.

In the end you will be spending close to N1m. However in the long run, it is economical. The major problem is the capital outlay.

very good. I think it's worth the initial investment.

Rodgers, I agree with you. I have been in the solar business for 7 years, and the biggest problem, apart from the cost is awareness. Even highly educated people are not aware there are several solar companies and installations in Nigeria. Not that its their fault, but we seem to think Renewable Energy (which includes solar) is some kind of unreachable technology. My company rubitec solar has made several installations for government, private organisations, educational institutions and individuals. Yes, upfront costs are high, but it pays itself within 2-3 years max, as you avoid generators, fuel, as welll as benefits of avoiding environmental pollution and noise. However, we can also have Solar Home Systems (SHS)for the rural areas at costs ranging from N10,000 to 100,000. These will provide the minimum in terms of lighting and something to charge your mobile phone and probably power a small TV and radio at some additional cost. A scheme popular in Bangladesh, Indonesia, india, Malyaysia etc, has a microfinance Bank like Grameen Shakti supplying AND installing the SHS for the poor, who then pay back over 2-3 years. They have done over 1m SHS in Bangladesh already, all by microfinance. Our MFBs in Nigeria have no idea even though we have tried to educate them. check out www.rubitecsolar.com, or email bolades@rubitecsolar.com

My company, Hillrich Limited, has been marketing and deploying alternative energy systems in Nigeria since 1997. So I can comment on this area. The main problem with mass scale deployment of solar energy is the cost. Because of our climate, any meaningful purchase would be in the region of the higher figures that have been mentioned above. Right now, the industry has deployed street lights, small systems for health system refridgeration, water systems and of course small home lighting for remote areas, plus of course water heating systems in the Plateau area. Both most city dwellers who desire individual purchase are always asking to power air conditioners, freezers and so on, at which level the estimates soar so high tehy say solar does not work. Even the modest estimate of around $10,000 will triple by the time it gets to the end user because of freight and bank charges. Nothing used in the deployment of solar technology is made in Nigeria. Most of our suppliers and partners are British and American. You can buy from the Chinese, but you're only taking chances.