KolaShangOne:
New Aluminum prices..

First Aluminium
0.45mm Longspan is 1707 per sqm
0.45mm Steptile is 1936 per sqm
0.45mm Metcoppo is 1997 per sqm

0.55mm Longspan is 2078 per sqm
0.55mm Steptile is 2337 per sqm
0.55mm Metcoppo is 2396 per sqm

Cc @hajjmufutau @egunmogaji @meetdopi etc

Thanks Brother.

Hajji M.

ceaser:


If you are a handyman, then you may be able to do some of those DIYs and mods.

I got the portable solar home systems (btw 11,600k to 35k depending on the mAH and number of bulbs) from sellers on Konga. Got about four units that can power the lighting points of all seven rooms and security lights for 20 straight hours on a single charge.
Solar charge controllers (majorly PWM types) as I plan to reverse engineer some of those portable solar systems and then have them powered by your regular Li-ion power bank battery pack.

As for the energy saving LED bulbs, I went for 1 watt high power Cree LEDs instead of 3watts Cree LEDs since a single 3 watts source can be made to supply 3 x 1 watt LEDs and made to light 1, 2 or 3 rooms depending on the brightness you want.

In case of SMD low power smd LED chips (5050, 2835, 5630 etc), I got the 3watt flat panel POP lights (that's what Igbo traders commonly call it). Note that these are originally designed to be powered by 230 volts AC. You need to jettison the attached AC drivers and then use resistors and diodes as current limiting devices to reduce their power consumption from about 3.2watts to 0.9 watts apiece. The brightness will reduce, but that's what you need to trade for prolonged battery life and also prolonged LED chip life since the current you drive thru them is reduced.

I got other components imported. They are components - hence not sold by your regular Konga or Ibo merchant - that you need in your assemblage or modding process.
: Constant current LED drivers - I later reverse engineered some and proceeded to import the components and have more drivers constructed myself and to my taste.
: Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes, transistors, Inductors, Integrated Circuits, SMD LEDs, high power Cree LEDs, Circuit boards, power banks, buck and boost voltage converters and constant current - constant voltage converters, etc
: For automation, i got PIR sensors, Light dependent switches, solenoid valves.
: Power tools - I tried as much as possible to get those that don't depend on 240v AC. 18 volt rechargeable power drill/screwdriver, 12volt rotery saw cutter. I just came across a USB powered 5volt soldering iron that I'm expecting the delivery.

This is as far as I can remember for now.

How easily do you get LED lights and fixtures?
We faced same issues and now partner with a reliable one[url] ifluxlighting.com[/url]
You may not even need to change the fixtures a.k.a Lamp Holders cos the some of LED bulbs use the regular screw and hook holders.
We give at least 1 year warranty.
Cheers

ceaser:


Like I said, I totally made the light points in the house independent of a central inverter. All the light points run on 12 volts DC direct. Some decorative LED strips even run on 5 volts USB source. Note that I have some standing fans and ceiling fans solar powered and rechargeable also running on 12volt DC.

As for the 240 volts points (wall sockets), I had all that routed to the 240 volts inverter, and for now, that is what I do. However later on, I still plan to decentralize that inverter as needed. A different inverter and battery bank for the kitchen/fridge and water dispenser, a different set up for the sitting rooms gadgets and at least 2 set ups to handle the four bedrooms.

The reason I think this is better is cos I don't have to always leave inverters on just to switch on lights in any if the rooms or even leave it working while I travel - the portable solar systems handle those ones.

Also like you said that wify powers her blender on the inverter and probably several other heavy gadgets loaded on a central inverter which you couldn't monitor while you were away, and getting home in the morning from overnight work and need to watch TV or something, I realize there is not much juice left in the battery bank. If you decentralize, you need not worry about much about shedding loads. If she like make she exhaust the kitchen supply , I go still get power to watch my TV.

Having said that, totally going off grid is an initially expensive process, but on the long term profitable. My DIY approach and strategy especially to the low voltage range (non-220 volt terrain) has been able to save money and stress associated with broken inverters that you need to always call and wait weeks for the installers to come repair.

Do you need a credible local vendor of LED lighting?
Our products have warranty

Feel free to request a brochure and more details- 08180469238 | biz@examocompany.com

Candour:
@EgunMogaji, how do you power your A/C's with solar? How much are you projecting? Won't the costs be too much?

@ceaser, your input is highly craved pls.

Though one can power HVAC units with battery but my design doesn't call for such, unless it proves necessary in the future.

I designed a passive house from scratch http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooling/passive_cooling.htm

Good luck on your project.

Candour:


Wait o, are all these for a naija house? This is interesting.

I think i need a lecture from you and egunmogaji...

The best advice I can give you is to forget the Nigerian angle. They'll try to frustrate you with negativity that it can't be done (but you have heard from folks doing it here).

Immerse yourself on Google searches, become an expert and import what you need.

The truth is out there.

ceaser:


Arrgh! We think alike too much. Which one na? ?

Okay. Here is what I already have DIYed in addition to those solar fans I earlier talked about.

Got those mini solar home systems that has 4 or 6 three watt LED bulbs. I jettisoned the bulbs rhat cane with the units as they are so tightly integrated for me to mod. Instead, I modded the usual POP flat panel SMD 2835 LED lights being sold by nna bros from 3 watts to 0.9 watts. That means I get twelve 0.9 watts bulbs from factory four 3 watts. This gives me the same lumen output but with better flexibility in terms of better battery back up and power management.

This way all rooms in the building run independently their own lighting (about 4 or 5 flat panel LED lights/spotlights per room depending on the room size)

Now for the bathrooms, I need to discourage wastage in the form of leaving the lights on after people are done with their business there. I achieved that by hooking PIR sensors to the bathroom bulbs and have the delay set at 2 minutes (of course it still stays on even if you are in there for 5 hours but soon as you exit the place, it switches off after 2 minutes of inactivity).

Now for the security lights, I had a daytime off - nighttime on type of LDR hooked to the light source to the security lights. They automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn.

Haven't noticed any bugs so far.

Good solid job man, very nice.

The beauty of all of this is that you can upgrade/supplement as new technology and/or funds allow.

Keep the flag hoisted.

bomsilaga:
Making a neat curve can only be achieved by steel rafters.

It can also be done with wood but you need woodworking tools.

Thanks.

KolaShangOne:
New Aluminum prices..

First Aluminium
0.45mm Longspan is 1707 per sqm
0.45mm Steptile is 1936 per sqm
0.45mm Metcoppo is 1997 per sqm

0.55mm Longspan is 2078 per sqm
0.55mm Steptile is 2337 per sqm
0.55mm Metcoppo is 2396 per sqm

Cc @hajjmufutau @egunmogaji @meetdopi etc

Jesu...N120k increase just like that

KolaShangOne:
New Aluminum prices..

First Aluminium
0.45mm Longspan is 1707 per sqm
0.45mm Steptile is 1936 per sqm
0.45mm Metcoppo is 1997 per sqm

0.55mm Longspan is 2078 per sqm
0.55mm Steptile is 2337 per sqm
0.55mm Metcoppo is 2396 per sqm

Cc @hajjmufutau @egunmogaji @meetdopi etc

Iam always confused when i see Longspan prices advertised here for 1,100 per sqm whereas my roofing guy who is based in Benin gives prices similar to what you have here. Where do those that advertised for 1,100 get theirs from?.

NL1960:

Iam always confused when i see Longspan prices advertised here for 1,100 per sqm whereas my roofing guy who is based in Benin gives prices similar to what you have here. Where do those that advertised for 1,100 get theirs from?.

Those prices above are from the First Aluminium company. The one you are referring to is probably imported version.

@EgunMogaji
Welcome back... I was gonna come get you.

Hajji M.

mufutau55:


Those prices above are from the First Aluminium company. The one you are referring to is probably imported version.

@EgunMogaji
Welcome back... I was gonna come get you.

Hajji M.

Thank you Sir.

I was accosted by Nairaland EFCC and dutifully so. They've reprogrammed me now and we can return to regularly scheduled program

My roof is about 200 square feet (depending on who's measuring) do the N129k is the ~N600 difference between the old and new price.

mufutau55:


Those prices above are from the First Aluminium company. The one you are referring to is probably imported version.

@EgunMogaji
Welcome back... I was gonna come get you.

Hajji M.

Is this imported version of a better or inferior quality to that of First Aluminum?. My brother-in-law has been struggling to raise the amount he was given for the roofing of his bungalow which is in the range quoted by Kolashangone. If he decides to go for this N1,100 type, the amount will be greatly reduced. So the question is if the imported is of the same quality as that of First Aluminum.

NL1960:

Is this imported version of a better or inferior quality to that of First Aluminum?. My brother-in-law has been struggling to raise the amount he was given for the roofing of his bungalow which is in the range quoted by Kolashangone. If he decides to go for this N1,100 type, the amount will be greatly reduced. So the question is if the imported is of the same quality as that of First Aluminum.

I think I have heard that First Aluminium, Tower Aluminium and Qualitec Aluminium are more superior... I beg that is what I heard o.
The good least priced imported Longspan I was going to use is at N1,450 for 0.55mm, and the Metcoppo is at N,1650 and that is here in Lagos area o.
I will show it here when it's done probably in few weeks time or sooner. Sorry, but I am too poor for name brands, as much as I like them.

Hajji M.

EgunMogaji:


It can also be done with wood but you need woodworking tools.

Thanks.

Thanks for your post, I didn't say it can't be done, it's just difficult to get a neat curve here in Nigeria with our inexperienced and impatient approach to things. Those pictures are definitely not my naija.

EgunMogaji:


Good solid job man, very nice.

The beauty of all of this is that you can upgrade/supplement as new technology and/or funds allow.

Keep the flag hoisted.

Exactly. Flexibility and upgradeability is the fun of it all.

GadgetsCo:
How easily do you get LED lights and fixtures? We faced same issues and now partner with a reliable one[url] ifluxlighting.com[/url] You may not even need to change the fixtures a.k.a Lamp Holders cos the some of LED bulbs use the regular screw and hook holders. We give at least 1 year warranty. Cheers

Bro. Here is how it works, at least for me.

I just get 1 or 2 pcs of the real stuff, note the components and just import 'em. Reverse engineer and couple the rest myself. That way I don't have to fear getting replacements of whole units since I have the replacement components.

The attached picture is just a tiny part of my collection. Note in the picture, there are two LED lights that we all may be familiar with. I got the first 2 units of the white 3W SMD on the right (commonly called POP light by Igbo traders) from an Igbo merchant at 1k4 apiece. Accidentally days after I bumped on sellers online that give it out for cheaper and with better quality (I want to avoid quoting the price here, but it's a loooot cheaper). So I imported just enough to clear my installations and a lil more for tweaks, moddings, experiments and errors before I actually convert/mod the whole bunch to my taste.

It's a 3W LED panel light and with an AC 80v to 220v led PWM led driver. There you can see the AC led driver has been removed and instead installed two in-line resistors (combined in parallel to obtain the desired resistance) to act as a current limiting resistor for a 12 volt DC source. I aimed at 0.9 watts power consumption instead of the factory 3 watts, of course with some reduction in lumen output, but definitely resulting in an extension of average half life of the LED chips. Average LED chip half life is 50,000 to 100,000 hours if left working for 24/7. You do the math.

Still in the picture, you can see a reel of spare 5730/5630 smd LED chips that that particular POP light uses. All I just need do is solder in chips that have their lives spent, in the next 4 or so years. Another familiar item in the picture is the aluminium cased POP LED light on the left. The one in the picture is 1 watt (contains 1 watt cree LED chip) cos 1 watt is exactly what I need. There are 3 watts, 4 watt, 7 watts, 20 and even 80 watts containing 3, 4, 7, 20 pcs 1 watt or 3 watt chip as the case may be. You will notice its factory AC LED driver close to it, with a male clip. But I don't need 220volts AC. So what I did was to get a 1 watt 12volt G4 LED driver with a male clip and just inserted it into the female socket already on the POP light. Viola, you get yourself a 12 volt 1 watt POP light. Since the driver was imported and for the sake of convenience, I imported components of it and constructed a few more drivers myself. In the picture too, you'll see a transparent sachet bag containing tiny pieces of pure white epistar 1 watt LED chip (1 also have another bag containing about 50pcs of warm white). Each bag of 50 chips set me back by about $2.50 (600 naira). So once the POP light chip completed its work in 4 years, I just pick one piece of those and solder it in. That saves me the trouble of having to visit the Igbo trader's shop and haggle 1k7 for the price of another complete unit.

I have used a few of the 1 watt chip to DIY different types of light combinations and power consumption to light places like steps, under-railings and flower beds.

As for lamp holders, I have various types all at dirt cheap prices in my collections (G4, E14, E27 etc.) I even have simple lamp holder converters (E27 to E14, etc). All these serve my need for tweaks, mods and DIYs and replacements. I have little reason to visit our 9ja shops to buy 'em at inflated prices. Other stuffs in that picture are resistors. So what do I really mean to say with all the above, I want to cut to the barest minimum my reliance on Nigerian traders to get some stuffs reason not because I don't have the money, but because I notice Nigerian traders unduly inflate these prices so much that we begin to look at such things as luxury whereas in actual fact they are not. I like how the average comfortable American handle his DIYs ranging from paintings to constructions to auto repairs and interior deco. Note that I don't toy with 220 volts mains im case of appliances that require such in my home. I still rely heavily on outsourced electricians to handle that for me.

This is not to spoil markit for you bro. But that's how I prefer to roll. Get the simplest things to make the most complex and sophisticated appearance out there. Has worked so far.

Oh, did I mention that my DSTV decoder runs smoothly on 12 volt DC direct? Yeah, I have clocked 12 straight hours on a single charge using one of my small portable solar home systems. So you can always have it connected to small TVs that also run 12 volt DC.

Memejem:
Can you explain why in the aluminum roofing category why longspan is the best?

The arrangement of the ridges and troughs on a longspan sheet makes for easy conveyance of water during rainfall.
Its the best for flow.
Also, in case there is any debris, its easier to remove.
Easier to maintain.
It also laps along the ridges so even if theres a hole on the ridge, chances of leakage is low.
Etc.. i'm just not a fan of steptile. i feel its a Nigerian's way of feeling richer than his neighbour who uses longspan.

my own opinion

olaide721:
welldone sir god will continue to flourish u day by day sir do u have a good company we can get aluminium roofing sheet from in lagos I mean the one u can guarantee of selling good quality kindly drop it here

Bros, i cant drop it here o.. its a trade secret. But if you want help with it, contact me and i will surely recommend based on your pocket.

Miranda11:



Please i would kindly like to know more about the coated roofing sheets and where is the best place to buy them i.e. ones that will last and not fade cos i noticed that there are many types of coated roofing sheets in the market - Switzerland N3000 per sq feet, New Zealand, Korea about N4K e.t.c although some one said that the original New Zealand roofing sheets are very hard to come by cos they are very expensive.

Thanks

Ive been trying to dodge this stone coated issue mostly because there are alot of vendors on nairaland claiming different things.

As far as i know, There are only 3 companies selling Original New Zealand stone coated roofing tiles in Nigeria. Their price ranges between 3050 to 3400 per sqm (old stock).

Same way these companies give you 50 years warranty, we also have Korean \ China products that claim their product lasts 30years or more.

Thank you so so so much. I'm really not a fan of such high roofs esp when the space isn't being utilized. i wouldn't mind it if there was an attic up there to be used for additional storage or an extra bedroom, but thats not the case. at least, I haven't seen anyone in nigeria with an attic anyways. Not that it can't be done, but if i'm going to spend so much money making an enormous roof, i would like it to be functional and not just aesthetically pleasing.

Please, in regards to durability and sustainability would you say that stone-coated roof is a better alternative to longspan aluminum roofs or is there another alternative.

Thank you in advance for your response.

KolaShangOne:
The arrangement of the ridges and troughs on a longspan sheet makes for easy conveyance of water during rainfall.
Its the best for flow.
Also, in case there is any debris, its easier to remove.
Easier to maintain.
It also laps along the ridges so even if theres a hole on the ridge, chances of leakage is low.
Etc.. i'm just not a fan of steptile. i feel its a Nigerian's way of feeling richer than his neighbour who uses longspan.

my own opinion

ceaser:


My own engineering is on living tissues. You may see me as a tinkerer though. Tinkering is just a hobby that I have had since I learnt to crawl.

3W, 7W and 10W LED lights produce approximately the same lumen output that 15W, 25W and 40W CFL energy saving bulbs respectively produce, maybe even better lumen but at much reduced power consumption. CFL lamps are those small coiled fluorescent bulbs that is a common sight.

If you initially use CFL and have 'em changed to LED bulbs for your inverter, you may almost double your battery life back-up depending on the number of CFL bulbs you were using.

Please what low power refrigerator did you just talk about? Let me in on it.

There are small fridges of around 200W to 600W that consumes lower power than regular ones. They are OK on inverters.

@all
I still need someone who knows to compare the durability of longspan aluminum with that of nigerite slates. Let's know which is better.

pragmatistm:
There are small fridges of around 200W to 600W that consumes lower power than regular ones. They are OK on inverters.

But those ones still run on AC, meaning you will also need an inverter.

There are refrigerators that strictly run on 12 volt/24 volt DC. All you need to have 'em running 24/7 is like 150 watts solar panel, solar charge controller and your 100ah deep cycle storage cells.

ceaser:



But those ones still run on AC, meaning you will also need an inverter.

There are refrigerators that strictly run on 12 volt/24 volt DC. All you need to have 'em running 24/7 is like 150 watts solar panel, solar charge controller and your 100ah deep cycle storage cells.

Good. I'm interested in the 12V fridge. Is it available in Nigeria? How much? Can you link me up with a seller in Lagos? If possible I want to eliminate the use of my inverter and go totally DC as much as possible. If not for TV and other AC appliances, DC is just cheaper on solar in the long run.

pragmatistm:
Good. I'm interested in the 12V fridge. Is it available in Nigeria? How much? Can you link me up with a seller in Lagos? If possible I want to eliminate the use of my inverter and go totally DC as much as possible. If not for TV and other AC appliances, DC is just cheaper on solar in the long run.

Also, as a conversation talk, there are as such as propane and kerosine fridges.

Tower aluminum prices (direct from factory)

0.45 longspan- 1997
0 45 steptile and metcoppo- 1884

0.55mm longspan- 2520
0.55mm steptile -2377.

pragmatistm:
Good. I'm interested in the 12V fridge. Is it available in Nigeria? How much? Can you link me up with a seller in Lagos? If possible I want to eliminate the use of my inverter and go totally DC as much as possible. If not for TV and other AC appliances, DC is just cheaper on solar in the long run.

I imagine a 12V/24V compressor on the fridge will require a bigger guage wire to prevent loses due to wire resistance. Except u get 48V+ compressor motor, it wouldn't be efficient.

Personally I prefer to import a high seer inverter a/c, fridge or washing machine unit from amazon. Start with 24 seer & You will be surprised on the efficiency

Read more, learn more

Have a good weekend

good morning people,
i was robbed yesterday and my phones are gone.
If we have pending transactions, please disregard any messages till Monday.

pragmatistm:
Good. I'm interested in the 12V fridge. Is it available in Nigeria? How much? Can you link me up with a seller in Lagos? If possible I want to eliminate the use of my inverter and go totally DC as much as possible. If not for TV and other AC appliances, DC is just cheaper on solar in the long run.

I made some solar products purchases from a seller on Konga. He included fliers of the products he sells in the package sent. There is a DC refrigerator listed in the flier. I will take a snapshot and post it here soon.

NB: It's a Solar refrigerator. But I believe it sustains on 12 volt battery source as back up as shown in the picture.