Times have changed.

For several decades, the evolution of solar power has been slow but very worthwhile. I remember my first encounter with solar. My dad bought me my first small pocket calculator in secondary school—JSS 1 to be precise. It had a solar cell strip at the top right corner through which it generated enough power to run the calculator. That was cool!

Today, there are several solar powered appliances, gadgets and buildings all around us. Even the International Space Station, thousands of kilometres away from the earth, is powered by electricity generated by solar panels.

This interesting solar evolution actually started way back in 1839 when Alexandre Becquerel discovered a material that produces electricity when exposed to light. As a result of that singular discovery and subsequent technological breakthroughs many homes, businesses and public facilities throughout the world today enjoy electricity generated from the sun!

Modern applications for solar power technologies are fast becoming limitless as technological research and development continue to break performance records and drive the discovery of more efficient and cost effective methods of tapping the sun’s free energy.

I have been actively involved in the new and renewable energy industry for over seven years and have come to the conclusion that solar power provides one of the key practical solutions to the persistent global energy crisis faced by millions of people both in developed and developing nations. Well more than 500,000 families in Africa, more than a million homes in Europe and millions of families in Asia and America too can testify to this.

One of the most commonly asked questions I am faced with is “how efficient is solar power?” And usually, my answer is the same—“Efficient enough to make a difference in our world today!”

The efficiency of a solar panel is derived by calculating the percentage of sunlight that a panel converts to electricity. Many solar panels today convert about 20 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity—this in itself is a feat. In 1990, the highest efficiency of solar cells was less than 10 percent.

Broadly speaking, solar power technology is a very simple concept. I’ll attempt to explain how it works in three sentences- Solar power is generated when a solar panel is exposed to sunlight. The generated electricity can either be utilized instantly or stored in batteries for use later at night (when there’s no sunlight). Since solar energy is a renewable source of energy, solar power is inexhaustible, environmentally friendly and clean (no air or noise pollution).

Till date, 271 GW (271,000 MW) of solar power has been installed worldwide according to GlobalData Plc. This equates to more than 20 times the current total generation capacity of all Nigeria’s electricity generation plants (including its hydro dams, thermal power stations and commissioned Independent Power Projects (IPPs). Most of the world’s solar installations are roof mounted solutions and ground mounted solar farms which provide decentralized access to power for millions around the world.

With more than 45 percent of Nigeria’s population not connected to the national grid and millions of households and businesses facing persistent black outs of at least 3,000 hours yearly, there’s a real opportunity for Nigeria and Nigerians to tap into solar power as an efficient power solution to reduce the country’s electricity supply deficit.

The good news is that there has been a conspicuous surfacing of an emerging solar market in Nigeria in the last couple of years. This is a positive development—not only because of the obvious benefit of reliable electricity and the thousands of jobs that have been created but also because there has been a subtle paradigm shift from the conventional fossil fuel powered generators to a more sustainable and cleaner alternative power source.

Access to electricity is very crucial in our ever dynamic and increasingly competitive world. It is a prerequisite for meaningful economic growth. Without power, there is no development.

Times have changed.

As published on Renewable Energy World Magazine http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/ugc/articles/2016/12/02/how-efficient-are-solar-electricity-power-systems.html

Remember when the tiny strip on your small calculator was the only thing solar you ever knew? The world has changed immensely since then. Today, the use of the sun’s energy and related technologies have evolved from being largely speculative to actually providing practical power solutions for millions of people globally.

Here are a few facts worth knowing about solar power;

1. The most important source of energy on earth for all forms of life is the sun. The sun has produced energy for billions of years. This is known as solar energy.

2. Solar energy is a form of renewable energy which is naturally replenished and can be used again and again.

3. In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered that electricity can be generated from sunlight by shining light on an electrode submerged in a conductive solution. Thereby producing solar power.

4. For many decades, scientists have challenged each other on improving the amount of power that can be generated from sunlight to electricity conversion by the use of solar panels.

5. There has been massive improvements made in the conversion of sunlight to electricity since 1839. These have led to the on-going energy revolution where millions of homes, businesses and institutions worldwide are switching to solar power.

6. In 1977 solar panels cost $76 per watt. In 1985, solar panels cost $14 per watt. In 1995, solar panels cost $6 per watt. In 2005, solar panels cost $2 per watt. (Power is measured in watts).

7. Today, solar panels cost less than half of the price they were in 2005. Technological advancements, increasing demand and improving efficiency have been the key factors responsible for this.

8. Most TV and Communication satellites in space are powered by electricity generated by solar panels.

9. The average life span of a solar panel is 25 years.

10. More than 4 million households have installed solar rooftop panels worldwide.

11. The global solar market place has been expanding at a geometric rate since 2005.

12. In Nigeria, on average at least 3 households are connected to solar power every week.

http://www.greenicles.com/12-facts-worth-knowing-solar-power/

As solar energy slowly but gradually moves to become a mainstream alternative energy source in Nigeria, this renewable energy has proven to have swamped several obstacles in its way to emerge as a reliable and cost-effective option for homes, businesses and even the government.

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola has repeatedly declared that alternative sources of energy such as solar, wind and coal need to be developed and utilized to complement existing gas and hydro power sources most of which the country has depended upon for over a century.

Optimistically, this in itself implies that the government of the day’s approach to power generation is not business as usual. In a way, Fashola’s recent statements may also be an admission to the fact that Nigeria’s power sector is currently underutilizing some technologies available to improve its generation and supply capacities.

The Solar Solution

Rightfully stated, the answer or the solution to the current power crisis does not solely lie in one “super-technology” but instead in ensuring that the correct energy mix is adopted, taking into consideration Nigeria’s peculiar circumstances ranging from its geography and climate to its economic and financial status.

All over the world, countries are doing exactly this by putting in place measures that will encourage homes, businesses and even power companies to adopt safe, reliable and viable long-term power generation options. Broadly speaking, the obvious criteria for such energy sources are accessibility, sustainability and cost effectiveness.

Apart from the fact that (on average) there is sunlight for 333 days in Nigeria every year, solar energy ticks all these conditions and not only that, it provides a substantial part to the real solution to what is arguably the biggest problem facing Nigeria today, after insecurity in the North-East and the Niger-Delta regions of course.

Solar Benefits for Nigeria’s Homes and Businesses

Being located in one of the sunniest part of the world, solar power installations in Nigeria can save homeowners and businesses money by reducing their reliance on fuel powered generators and providing uninterrupted power supply with very little maintenance costs.

In 2016, 80% of homeowners and businesses approached by Lagos-based, Nigerian solar installation company, Greenicles Limited www.greenicles.com cited money savings and constant power supply as their main drivers for switching over to solar. Wale Egungbohun, the Regional Sales Manager of Greenicles says that “amongst many other benefits, these two usually stand out as a recurring pair”.


Greenicles Solar Customer Survey (Jan - June 2016)

Other benefits of going solar include reduction of noise pollution, independence from fluctuating fuel prices and reduction of CO2 emissions.

Solar, The New Normal?

Mr. Egungbohun likens the steady emergence of solar panels on rooftops in Nigeria to the advent of GSM phones in the early 2000s. That era marked the dawn of a telecommunications revolution in Africa’s most populous country. Mobile phone lines were outrageously expensive to start with and eventually became very affordable before the end of that decade.

Many forces were instrumental in making that happen. One of which was the often underestimated triad- the relationship between cost, demand and supply. He further adds, “as the global costs of solar panels, storage batteries and other components continue to fall (as we have seen in the past 3 years), it is only a matter of time before there are solar panels on every street in Nigeria”.