Cant u get prepaid without the landlord consent as a tenant. Just asking.

Oloki:


And I heard it will still go up. God will have mercy. Prepaid meter is still better. Only, our landlord is not ready to spend a dime.

yongg:



Well Poco, do some more research. I know you're good at it. One can make it work, you just have to analyze the load profile of the intended solar installation location. This would include how long one would be running a device for.

I installed mine last year... budget was between 200-300k, however I don't think most people will be as thorough as I was about how I went about it, So maybe ramp it up to an average of 600k.

I run my freezer for 1-2 hours on a good sunny day(every 2-3 days interval, and well the sunlight has replenished the batteries within the day in between intervals), and it's good enough for like 2 days tops. It's all about power management especially when on a budget (yes, with solar it's a given you must manage, lol).

That investment has paid off just after one year.

For the record the capacity of the inverter used in the PV system is 300W ( 300VA; MAX:500W). For reference that smallest generator, you know, the "I better pass my neighbor generator" is of 850W (850VA or 0.85KW) capacity...

...and the panel are installed in a good orientation considering the loci of the sun (how the sun moves across the sky)... and where the neighboring buildings aren't casting shadows over it during the good sun hours.

I got started when I encounted lasthero's thread:
https://www.nairaland.com/6868224/how-managed-light-situation-apartment

What you did is a small one. I know what it costs to do a proper solar installation that can carry refrigerator and AC. It costs almost 2m and could go higher. Your 300k installation is to charge phone and put on fan. It is good for freelancers that want to keep their devices up on a budget. Not someone with tonnes of food in their freezer.

highoctane:

Take this quote. I had ran the streets in our beloved country Nigeria,and it has been to me.
Take your desire for American visa to the next door

Your beloved country has been what to you? Please mention it. Or you mean it has been to you to run the streets of your beloved country; again, doing what?
My desire for America is at the door of you and whoever is down grading it out of jealous.

yongg:


I even feel like I would be giving out too much secret sef... lols.

It will not power unlimited amount of appliances o, you will have to manage it out.

For example when I intend to put on my refrigerator/freezer, nothing else preferably will be plug on at the time maybe except the laptop, or the fan else it will trip off due to overload, but the sun will have to be up to sustain replenishing the batter immediately (meaning don't even think of trying this at night since it will be running strictly off the batteries at night).

DISCLAIMER!!: Don't try this until you have researched and UNDERSTOOD how each component and the batteries work else you will achieve a sub-optimal arrangement or worse you will damage your batteries (the the biggest expense), let me just put that out there...

Yes, it could have been even lesser but I need more power, so I went for an additional solar panel, a higher capacity batter (second handed) and a charge controller to boot( for this one I urge you to research o).

You can learn a bit from lasthero's thread, he got me inspired so I began my project.
https://www.nairaland.com/6868224/how-managed-light-situation-apartment

Thanks a lot... Are there people that can help one do this calculation? As no be all of us understand the engineering

pocohantas:

What you did is a small one. I know what it costs to do a proper solar installation that can carry refrigerator and AC. It costs almost 2m and could go higher. Your 300k installation is to charge phone and put on fan. It is good for freelancers that want to keep their devices up on a budget. Not someone with tonnes of food in their freezer.

Yes, that's true. . Actually more than phone and fan. 247 power 95% of the time depending on usage. The businesses around me won't even dare run their .85VA gen as long as I have power because of the cost of fuelling.

Yeah, about freelancing, I program trading tools, so if you know someone into forex et all that has ideas wanted actualized, you can reach me .

Will the solar be able to pump water?

Am just curious

yongg:



Well Poco, do some more research. I know you're good at it. One can make it work, you just have to analyze the load profile of the intended solar installation location. This would include how long one would be running a device for.

I installed mine last year... budget was between 200-300k, however I don't think most people will be as thorough as I was about how I went about it, So maybe ramp it up to an average of 600k.

I run my freezer for 1-2 hours on a good sunny day(every 2-3 days interval, and well the sunlight has replenished the batteries within the day in between intervals), and it's good enough for like 2 days tops. It's all about power management especially when on a budget (yes, with solar it's a given you must manage, lol).

That investment has paid off just after one year.

For the record the capacity of the inverter used in the PV system is 300W ( 300VA; MAX:500W). For reference that smallest generator, you know, the "I-better-pass-my-neighbor" generator is of 850W (850VA or 0.85KW) capacity...

...and the panel are installed in a good orientation considering the loci of the sun (how the sun moves across the sky)... and where the neighboring buildings aren't casting shadows over it during the good sun hours.

I got started when I encounted lasthero's thread:
https://www.nairaland.com/6868224/how-managed-light-situation-apartment

Yampotatocarrot:


Thanks a lot... Are there people that can help one do this calculation? As no be all of us understand the engineering

Yes, you can also know what to expect using calculators like:

https://shop.thesunpays.co.za/pages/solar-system-sizing-calculator

This one is customized to SA but some things are the same no matter the location on the planet.

Ma. Can solar pump water? Just asking. No offense

pocohantas:


It would carry it, but it would only run out faster. That is why you have energy saving appliances. During rainy season, they also have to be careful with its usage. Ignore the people always quick to sing solar in a country where minimum wage is less than $100. Discos should give people light.

Solar installation that would carry your fridge, AC and other household appliances can set you back like 1.5 to 2m currently. Yet any small thing they will say solar. Like say their papa house get solar.

Love800:
Ma. Can solar pump water? Just asking. No offense

I have seen someone use it to iron. But most do not use the average family installation for such.

Love800:
Ma. Can solar pump water? Just asking. No offense

There are solar pumps na.

But if you have a pump already that is not a solar pump, what you do is

- get the power rating of that pump or if you know the amount of horsepower that pump puts out, you can estimate the power rating...

For example, if your pump is 2 horsepower, 1 horsepower is approximately 750W, so 2hp will be 1.5KW. From this you will need a 2KW(higher than the pumps highest power requirements) Solar system to handle the pump (alone o, that is as long as no other appliance is running) .

pocohantas:


I have seen someone use it to iron. But most do not use the average family installation for such.

I bought one 800W travel iron to test it with my solar because it was small and all.

Well, let's just say I wasn't pleased with the outcome because although my system carried it, the heat wasn't enough to straighten my clothes. One needed an insane amount of pressing runs just to iron a portion of clothing.

I don't know what OP is using, I don't use AC and I haven't spent more than 2k on my prepaid and I use it more than almost 2 months. Although, we are not using 24hours light. Each flat gets its meter. We don't share. And Pumping machine gets its own metre where we placed old arbitrary billings on and guess what, the 4 flats only contribute just 2k to buy token for that metre and it's been over a month now and we haven't recharged it since then.

yongg:


I bought one 800W travel iron to test it with my solar because it was small and all.

Well, let's just say I wasn't pleased with the outcome because although my system carried it, the heat wasn't enough to straighten my clothes. One needed an insane amount of pressing runs just to iron a portion of clothing.

Sorry about that. I rarely iron at home. I use drycleaners for that. Except once in a while when I need to straighten my jean or top. Nothing beats NEPA light for me. I have been in solar installed houses and the mental gymanistics and calculation is a lot.

tunnex190:
I don't know what OP is using, I don't use AC and I haven't spent more than 2k on my prepaid and I use it more than almost 2 months. Although, we are not using 24hours light. Each flat gets its meter. We don't share. And Pumping machine gets its own metre where we placed old arbitrary billings on and guess what, the 4 flats only contribute just 2k to buy token for that metre and it's been over a month now and we haven't recharged it since then.

Maybe because you don't use AC. AC is the number one enemy of prepaid meter. Worse when it is non-inverter. Use AC, a big refrigerator, microwave, washing machine, TV, sound systems, water heater, electric kettle, etc. Then come back to ask what the OP is using. I bet you only have a small fridge, fan and TV.

Love800:
Sir pls wat is the difference btw these three. Prepaid, postpaid and estimated billing. Or can u define them. Am just curious, dont mean any offense

1. Estimated billing: The apartment has no metre. Your bill is based on estimate. The NEPA guys can use the average consumption of others around you to make the estimate. The advantage about this is that you can consume more than what you pay. Most people on estimated billing cook with their electric stove, power AC 24/7.
The disadvantage is that you will pay for darkness when there is blackout for a longer period.


2. Post paid: A metre is installed. It records the amount of power you consume in kWh. The NEPA guys comes each month to take note of the consumption and gives you the bill to pay for what you have consumed.


3. Prepaid: Another type of metre. In this case, you have to load power units before you can have power supply, just same way you load recharge card before you can make a call. Once your loaded power units gets exhausted, the metre will automatically shutdown and there will be no power in your apartment. When you load again, it will automatically turn on.

chuksanambra:


In my office, we use 10k electricity every 3 to 4 days. We have 6 air-conditioners.

that's an office, an average flat has one/two AC which most times are not on together. Spending 20k in 3 weeks on electricity in a flat is huge for me oo

pocohantas:


Sorry about that. I rarely iron at home. I use drycleaners for that. Except once in a while when I need to straighten my jean or top. Nothing beats NEPA light for me. I done dey solar installed house and the mental gymanistics and calculation is a lot.

Lols, yeah, well, we are not that used to off-grid living here even though the way the energy brokers treat us is as if we were living in places far from civilization, thick jungle were one is to not expect communal services.

So I found ways to reduce that. After the initial calculations it gets easier with timed switches. The timed switches will help switch off appliances after a time period so that it does not load the PV system batteries more than it was intended.

In my case, the fan, freezer/refrigerator, washing machine and UPS make up my power gobblers list, and because I know that by 9am the sun will rise enough to charge up my battery to 80% level when I can use them except the freezer and washing machine, I would program them using the timed switches to turn on by 9am. Whatever device/appliance that needs to go off by 11a will do so, so that the PV system can dedicate full power to the freezer by 11am and shut off by 1pm. By 4pm UPS charging is shut off. All done automatically like clockwork.

This year, I added an auxiliary wiring. So I dedicated one for the mains only (that is NEPA) and one for both NEPA when they provide power and PV jointly, plus an automatic change over. The wiring dedicated to NEPA only run the heavy appliances, while all other appliances are carried by the solar system are on the other. The result is less stressful life independent of our current electricity providers, all you'll hear is the auto-change over clicking and power is on, 247.

yongg:


Lols, yeah, well, we are not that used to off-grid living here even though the way the energy brokers treat us is as if we were living in places far from civilization, thick jungle were one is to not expect communal services.

So I found ways to reduce that. After the initial calculations it gets easier with timed switches. The timed switches will help switch off appliances after a time period so that it does not load the PV system batteries more than it was intended.

In my case, the fan, freezer/refrigerator, washing machine and UPS make up my power gobblers list, and because I know that by 9am the sun will rise enough to charge up my batter to 80% level when I can use them except the freezer and washing machine, I would program them using the timed switches to turn on by 9am. Whatever device/appliance that needs to go off by 11a will do so, so that the PV system can dedicate full power to the freezer by 11am and shut off by 1pm. By 4pm UPS charging is shut off. All done automatically like clockwork.

This year, I added an auxiliary wiring. So I dedicated on for the mains only (that is NEPA) and one for both NEPA when they provide power and PV jointly, plus an automatic change over. The wiring dedicated to NEPA only run the heavy appliances, while all other appliances are carried by the solar system are on the other. The result is less stressful life independent of our current electricity providers, all you'll hear is the auto-change over clicking and power on, 247.

Thanks for this. The time switches thing.
I always had to turn off manually. I will look into this time switch part. Because I can't add remembering to turn off fridge at a particular hour to my problems in life.

Thanks so much!!!

The solution is simple. Join politics or the military.

pocohantas:


Thanks for this. The times switches thing.
I always had to turn off manually. I will look into this time switch part. Because I can't add remembering to turn off fridge at a particular hour to my problems in life.

Thanks so much!!!

It's all in the day's job, ma'am, you're welcome.

Here is an example:
/generic-plug-in-digital-timer-switch-electrical-timer-80675007.html
(Notice the holes allows using a variety of styles of plugs, British style plugs are different from all those American I-looking plugs... and they go into mains sockets)



/generic-digital-programmable-timer-switch-74347076.html
(this one has more timers than the other, allows only one style of plug, goes into main sockets)




/sinotimer-professional-digital-time-switch-190628014.html
(this one does not go into socket, it is connected in-line. Say you want to turn off the garden lights or security light by break of day, this is the one you would go for because the security is usually a switch inline and not some appliance plugged into to some socket )

Note: the website above I am trying to reference is jumia, jumia dot com.

gaskiyamagana:

Your beloved country has been what to you? Please mention it. Or you mean it has been to you to run the streets of your beloved country; again, doing what?
My desire for America is at the door of you and whoever is down grading it out of jealous.

Nigeria has been good me.
I meet my bills, I have a shelter over head.
Go to America and be a street hawker.
Summer is around the corner, you can make due selling Lemonade, wearing baggy pants borrowed from a pawnshop in East side of Harlem.

pocohantas:


Sorry about that. I rarely iron at home. I use drycleaners for that. Except once in a while when I need to straighten my jean or top. Nothing beats NEPA light for me. I have been in solar installed houses and the mental gymanistics and calculation is a lot.



Maybe because you don't use AC. AC is the number one enemy of prepaid meter. Worse when it is non-inverter. Use AC, a big refrigerator, microwave, washing machine, TV, sound systems, water heater, electric kettle, etc. Then come back to ask what the OP is using. I bet you only have a small fridge, fan and TV.

Nope, I use a big refrigerator and it's always running, microwave, washing machine, TV, sound systems, electric kettle, and the rest and just only AC I don't use because I know how much it consumes than the rest of the appliances and I am telling you, the 3k I did this early morning, it's around 72 unit rtn and maybe it's because we only have light at night around 8 pm until the next day afternoon around 12pm. Today is surprising though because the light has stayed more than the hrs and we still have it now.

tunnex190:


Nope, I use a big refrigerator and it's always running, microwave, washing machine, TV, sound systems, electric kettle, and the rest and just only AC I don't use because I know how much it consumes than the rest of the appliances and I am telling you, the 3k I did this early morning, it's around 72 unit rtn and maybe it's because we only have light at night around 8 pm until the next day afternoon around 12pm. Today is surprising though because the light has stayed more than the hrs and we still have it now.

It is impossible that you have all this and use 2k worth of units in two months. Totally impossible. It defies every mathematical calculation. Except you have 1hr of light every day or your heavy appliances have been bypassed.

If someone was living in that flat before you, I would suggest you check your connections. Any NEPA official reading how you use 1k in a month while having a refrigerator that is always running would definitely want to pay you a visit.

How about a friend who says he hasn't recharged more than once since he moved in to his new house; after he has spent over a year in the house? Is he not using heavy appliances too? Maybe the former tenant bypassed the metre or not but he said he hasn't recharged it more than once. That was last year talk though I don't know now

pocohantas:


It is impossible that you have all this and use 2k worth of units in two months. Totally impossible. It defies every mathematical calculation. Except you have 1hr of light every day.

it is possible - it means the meter is bypassed without his knowing it. a lot of the cash problems with these discos are from games thier own workers play. ex nepa types with government mentality. someone in my close was paying on his prepaid mater, and then they came to accuse him of not paying any bill. long and short they found his meter had been bypassed years ago, before he moved into the house. worse, his meter was apparently stolen form another sales area. so his payments were not going to festac but marina.

i had a variant of the same issue.

GloriousGbola:


it is possible - it means the meter is bypassed without his knowing it. a lot of the cash problems with these discos are from games thier own workers play. ex nepa types with government mentality. someone in my close was paying on his prepaid mater, and then they came to accuse him of not paying any bill. long and short they found his meter had been bypassed years ago, before he moved into the house. worse, his meter was apparently stolen form another sales area. so his payments were not going to festac but marina.

i had a variant of the same issue.

I edited my post to capture this scenario. Interestingly he thinks it is normal. I hope they don't slam him a 500k fine in the future. With his appliances, he should be using at least 8k a month.

tunnex190:
How about a friend who says he hasn't recharged more than once since he moved in to his new house; after he has spent over a year in the house? Is he not using heavy appliances too? Maybe the former tenant bypassed the metre or not but he said he hasn't recharged it more than once. That was last year talk though I don't know now

Your friends meter was bypassed. Hopefully he doesn't find out the hard way.

pocohantas:


It is impossible that you have all this and use 2k worth of units in two months. Totally impossible. It defies every mathematical calculation. Except you have 1hr of light every day or your heavy appliances have been bypassed.

Oh no, I don't buy more than 2k to 3k every month but and there is always about 5 to 10units more before I buy, but before this morning it's almost 2month now before 90 something units reduced to 11units.

Love800:
Cant u get prepaid without the landlord consent as a tenant. Just asking.

We can if he allows us to convert the money to rent. Because you can't carry the prepaid meter with you when you are going. Moreso, the accumulated debt on the six flats is like 700k.
He has refuse to put a dime down and the tenants has agree to look for another accommodation. As it is now, we might get over 70k this month as NEPA bill.

Oloki:


We can if he allows us to convert the money to rent. Because you can't carry the prepaid meter with you when you are going. Moreso, the accumulated debt on the six flats is like 700k.
He has refuse to put a dime down and the tenants has agree to look for another accommodation. As it is now, we might get over 70k this month as NEPA bill.

You can.

tunnex190:



Oh no, I don't buy more than 2k to 3k every month but and there is always about 5 to 10units more before I buy, but before this morning it's almost 2month now before 90 something units reduced to 11units.

Please check your connections, Tunnex.

[quote author=pocohantas post=124149278]

You can.



How pls?

The pumping machine that we placed over 250k estimated billings on, we still use 2k worth of unit after it is halved for their deduction for over a month, it remained 12units over a week ago These are newly installed prepaid metres and we did not bypass anything. The only people that complained about the heavy consumptions are the ones who are using AC non-inverter. I use my washing machine once in every week. Ironing is done every weekend. The unit was around 79 this morning and there is light since midnight and I will probably check the rest for you to tell you how much I still have left in unit.

[quote author=Oloki post=124149304][/quote]

The arrangement we have is we buy the meters, registered in the landlord's name, so obviously we can't leave with it and he has to subtract that value and expenses from the next rent payment.

I think that may be better than buying the meter and registering in your name at a location that isn't permanent because if you move it may not be so easy to reintegrate it at your new location, it could be same state but will it be the same line? I usually hear of line/tarrif A, B and C.
Will it also be the same EDC? Heck you new location might even be a different state.

I don't really know how it is done, so I am spit-balling here, contact your nearest EDC for better advice.