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Solar Energy News Solar Power

Power problems: Could solar solve Nigeria’s electricity woes?

Power problems: Could solar solve Nigeria’s electricity woes?

Hungry for energy, millions of Nigerians put up with noisy, smoky petrol-fuelled generators to power their lives. Could solar technology help?

An estimated 22 million small-unit generators are in use by Nigerians, and they plug a vital gap in a country that ranks 171 out of 190 nations in terms of access to electricity, according to the World Bank [File: Sunday Alamba/AP Photo]
An estimated 22 million small-unit generators are in use by Nigerians, and they plug a vital gap in a country that ranks 171 out of 190 nations in terms of access to electricity, according to the World Bank [File: Sunday Alamba/AP Photo]

Ilorin, Nigeria – On a recent Monday morning, Mathew Bello, popularly known as Matey, switched on the generator that powers his shop in the capital of Kwara State at exactly 9:28am. It sputtered for a second before roaring to life, coughing up clouds of grey smoke in the process.

Inside Bello’s multipurpose shop are places to watch television, play video games, get a haircut and fix a mobile phone. As David, Bello’s apprentice, transferred the shop’s fuse box from the utility grid — which was currently experiencing a blackout — over to the generator, the TVs lit up and hair clippers buzzed to life.

Bello set up the DSTV and PlayStation consoles and potential customers jostled for spots to charge their phones. The whine from the generator fluctuated as it balanced customers’ hunger for energy with the limits of its output.

On that day, Bello’s generator did not go off until 12am, after 14 hours and 32 minutes of non-stop work.

“Sometimes there’s NEPA light,” Bello told Al Jazeera, referring to power from the city’s electrical grid, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. “But it’s low current,” he said – and not enough to meet the power demands of his shop.

A petrol-powered generator sits outside a home in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, where people rely on the noisy machines to power their everyday lives [Olatunji Olaigbe/Al Jazeera]

Bello’s generator consumes between 17 and 27 litres of petrol each day, he said, which costs him between 2,500 naira ($6.08) and 4,000 naira ($9.72) by the country’s official exchange rate. Then there is an additional 1,500 nairas ($3.65) per week to gauge and change the generator’s oil. A mechanic comes for maintenance and repairs three times a month, costing at least 1,000 nairas per visit ($2.43) in addition to the cost of any spare parts.

All told, Bello’s monthly spending for his generator averages around 100,000 naira ($243.01) to 130,000 ($315.92). But his monthly earnings amount to 170,000 naira ($413.12) at most, and he is able to buy less each month as the prices of fuel, food and other daily necessities skyrocket.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria is dealing with its worst levels of inflation in four years. Bello is concerned that passing on increased costs to his customers would cause him to simply lose business.

Haircuts, video games and TV time are not considered necessities, meaning people will likely stop patronising his shop if he charges more. His story is just one example of the economic and human cost of Nigeria’s electricity woes.

Hungry for power

An estimated 22 million small-unit generators are in use by Nigerians like Bello, and they plug a vital gap in a country that ranks 171 out of 190 nations in terms of access to electricity, according to the World Bank.

Nigeria’s grid has an installed capacity of roughly 12,522 megawatts, but due to poor infrastructure, it is only able to deliver around 4,000 megawatts most days, according to the US Agency for International Development.

As of February, 43 percent of Nigerians still had no access to on-grid electricity, according to the World Bank, and Nigeria loses $26.2bn annually (the equivalent of two percent of its gross domestic product) due to the lack of reliable electricity.

Along with the financial cost of petrol-powered generators are the noise and pollution they generate [File: Sunday Alamba/AP Photo]

To bridge the gap between supply and demand, Nigerians are forced to generate power in small units from off-grid sources, usually fossil fuel-powered generators.

Along with the financial cost of generators are health and environmental costs. Two out of three generator users in Nigeria complained of hearing impairment, according to data cited in a 2019 report (PDF) by the Access to Energy Institute (A2EI), a non-profit research and development institute working to advance the use of solar energy in developing countries.

“The noise is delirious,” Quadri Oladayo, a student who uses his own generator to read and work as a freelance photographer, told Al Jazeera. “Every time a nearby generator goes off, it’s like a part of your soul you never knew was missing returns.”

Most Nigerians are aware of more health and environmentally friendly options such as solar energy, but cost, quality and lack of expertise make implementing them difficult. That is why more investment in solar energy is needed, said Segun Adaju, the president of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria.

“If $2bn is invested in the solar energy sector, most businesses can run comfortably on 8 to 12 hours of energy provision daily,” Adaju told Al Jazeera, adding that such an investment would also provide “room for industrial growth and confidence in the investor market”.

Solar potential

Nigeria gets between five to seven hours of sunlight daily, depending on the region. A 2019 report (PDF) by the director-general of the Energy Commission of Nigeria estimated that if one percent of Nigeria’s land area were to be covered with a solar technology of five percent efficiency, about 333,480 megawatts of electricity could be generated, which is “more than enough for the country”.

Experts believe that solar power in Nigeria is currently underutilised.

For example, Nigerians are likely to own a solar-powered torchlight, solar-powered fan and perhaps solar-powered refrigerator, but each comes with its own solar plate and energy generation unit, rather than plugging into a single solar generator capable of powering an entire house and every appliance.

A solar generator with the capacity to power all of those devices is barely available on the market and inaccessible to the majority of low- and middle-class Nigerians. A high-capacity solar generator can cost well above 400,000 naira ($972.05). By comparison, the monthly minimum wage in Nigeria is 30,000 ($72.90) naira. And even when Nigerians can afford them, there is still a dire lack of expertise to help people maintain solar-powered generators.

Cost remains a major barrier for Nigerians who want to switch from petrol-powered generators like this one to solar-powered generators, which can cost more than 10 times the monthly minimum wage [Olatunji Olaigbe/Al Jazeera]

And for business owners who have higher energy demands, cost is a major deterrent. For his part, Bello said he has considered solar energy many times but has been dissuaded by the price as well as the potential output.

“I’ve never seen a solar power that can power five TVs and three clippers,” he said.

Thomas Duveau, the chief strategy officer at A2EI, said the current petrol-powered generators are favoured by people because “they serve that energy demand”, and “they do it quickly and in the cheapest way possible – at least in the short term”.

But A2EI is hoping to help Nigerians make the move to solar, and has been working on the project since 2016.

To get a grasp on people’s energy needs, the group installed smart monitors on 300 petrol-powered generators in Wuse market in Abuja so they could monitor metrics such as energy output, fuel consumption, how long each generator worked and even the frequency of faults.

“We then used this information to construct our solar generators, making sure they can outperform the fossil-fuel generators,” Duveau told Al Jazeera.

But matching petrol generators’ output has only been part of the challenge.

“Our biggest hurdle has always been finance,” Duveau said.

Financial challenges

In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit, A2EI shipped about 200 solar generators to Nigeria, which were priced at $700 per unit.

The pandemic delayed customs processing on the generators, Duveau said, and impacted the economy more broadly. Last year passed without A2EI selling the solar generators.

By 2021, the value of Nigeria’s currency had fallen to 411 naira to the United States dollar, with the black market value well above that.

The solar generators still cost $700, but that is now 288,050 naira — 22,000 naira more than when they were first shipped.

To deal with this issue, A2EI said it partnered with Nigerian banks and other financial institutions to provide subsidies and credit to help Nigerians buy its solar-powered generators. Duveau said they have also approached the Nigerian government for support, but have been met with no concrete response.

Renewable energy investments

In December 2020, the Nigerian government launched the Solar Power Naija programme, an ambitious project targeted to provide solar electrification to 25 million Nigerians who were not previously connected to the grid.

The programme plans to provide five million new off-grid or mini-grid connections and “incentivise the creation of 250,000 new jobs in the energy sector”, according to its website.

However, since the programme’s inception, the Rural Electrification Agency — the agency in charge of the programme — has so far deployed 100,000 solar home systems.

As the push to get solar-powered generators up and running struggles to get off the ground, Bello’s petrol-powered machine keeps on going, belching out grey smoke and incessant noise — just like his neighbours’ — and sapping his earnings in the process.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
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Solar Power

Net Zero Homes, no electricity bills.

Good morning the subject today is Net Zero Homes / Zero Energy Homes.

What is a net zero home / zero energy home? The answer depends on who is answering.

The United States office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy defines it as “a zero energy building produces enough renewable energy to meet its own annual energy consumption requirements, thereby reducing the use of nonrenewable energy in the building sector”

Renewables are defines as Solar, Wind, Hydro and Biomass.

In Nigeria the most common source of renewable energy is solar.

Since 2016 we have been a Net zero facility. We have 2 inverters. A 5 kw grid tied inverter with 2250 watts in panels and a 5 kw smart hybrid battery inverter with 5840 watts. We have a 10 kwh lithium battery bank. No grid and no generator (we might change that in the future)

We run normal home appliances. A large refrigerator, a small freezer, a 1 hp. water pump, a microwave, an air fryer, a hot plate a 1.5 hp. window AC, and 1 hp. split AC, lights, fans, printers, lap top computers, Alexa devices, internet modem, TV, DSTV decoder. A normal home. The split unit, the fridge and freezer run 24 hours a day. The window AC runs during business hours M-F on sunny days.

What is your net zero home experience? Please share. If you like reading this story and would like to know more, please email me at info@atlanticwastepower.com

#solar #renewableenergy #solarenergy #netzerohomes #zeroenergy

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Solar Power

How do the Chinese Products compare


Before I give you my opinion, I will lift something out of an article I read.

The following export product groups categorize the highest dollar value in Chinese global shipments during 2020. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from China.

  1. Electrical machinery, equipment: US$710.1 billion (27.4% of total exports)
  2. Machinery including computers: $440.3 billion (17%)
  3. Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: $109.4 billion (4.2%)
  4. Plastics, plastic articles: $96.4 billion (3.7%)
  5. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $80.2 billion (3.1%)
  6. Vehicles: $76.3 billion (2.9%)
  7. Miscellaneous textiles, worn clothing: $75.6 billion (2.9%)
  8. Toys, games: $71.5 billion (2.8%)
  9. Articles of iron or steel: $71.1 billion (2.7%)
  10. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $62.3 billion (2.4%)

China’s top 10 exports accounted for over two-thirds (69.2%) of the overall value of its global shipments.

From the numbers they must be doing something right. Exports to the United States and Europe were $420 and $375 billion in 2020.

What are my experiences? You can get the best from China and you can get absolute rubbish from China. They have everything for everyone. In the 70’s Japanese manufacturing was the butt of everyone’s joke. If you wanted cheap transistor radios, TV’s, LCD watches you got them from Japan. Today Japan has become synonymous with quality products.
The first set if inverters we installed were crap. 
First we did not understand them, 2nd they were poorly made. We tried again and we got some value for our money. What we purchased served the needs that we were aware of.

click on the link to read the full article

https://mailchi.mp/ef873d74b932/do-chinese-products-compare-well-to?e=9066152799

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Solar Power

7 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE GOING SOLAR

One shocking statistic about going solar is this; in 2018, the United States had 64.2 GW of installed solar, enough to power 12.3 million American homes.

Amazing right?

Yeah I know. That is because the sun produces enough energy every second to cover the needs of the earth for 500,000 years. The sun is that powerful and for this reason, a lot of people are excited about going solar. Going solar is one huge decision to make that can tremendously change your life home and environment forever.

The benefits of solar energy are numerous and as such, it is advisable to go solar. While this may seem like a good decision to make, there are certain things that you must consider before you go solar. Read carefully before making that decision.

Things to consider before going solar

1. Roof assessment

One of the first things you should consider before going solar is your roof. You need to assess the quality of your roof to ensure that it is facing a direction where the panels can get enough sunlight. Do not choose an area surrounded by shades as the panel will not produce at maximum efficiency under a shade. Also, the roof assessment will be assessed to ensure that it can withstand the weight of the solar panels.

2. Trusted experts

Before going solar, you should consider how and where you can find a trusted solar expert. Finding a reliable and trustworthy expert can be a daunting task but we at AWPS can make that easy for you. We are a solar company that focuses on catering to the solar needs of Nigerians. You can trust us to make your solar journey easy. Contact us here.

3. Cost

Financial analysis of the decision to go solar is one thing to be considered. The cost of purchasing and installing a solar panel varies.  See our catalog to get an idea of the cost.

  

4. Source of electricity

You will need to decide your source of electricity. Would you still want to be connected to the grid or would you want to depend solely on your solar panels? That is a choice you need to make.

 

5. Lease or purchase

Would you want to purchase a solar panel for yourself or would you want to lease one for a specific period? That is one thing to consider before going solar.

 

6. Batteries

You may consider adding a solar battery to your installation. A solar battery stores charges from your solar panel and makes it available for use when needed. Solar batteries will be of good importance if you want to depend solely on your solar panels and if you also intend to run your appliances even during a power failure.

 

7. Maintenance

How often would you be willing to run a maintenance routine on your solar panels? Twice or Thrice a year? This is also an important aspect to put into consideration. Maintaining your solar panels and batteries is a must-do as it can enhance the efficiency of your system and you need to consider how often you want it done.

Final thought

Going solar is a huge decision to make and as such, adequate attention and consideration need to be made.

Having doubts about going solar?

Reach out to us and we would schedule a call with you.

 

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Solar Power Solar Projects

Energy Saving Tips: How to Conserve Energy at Home

Conservation of energy is an essential and ideal thing to do if you want to get the best out of your utility bills most especially if you use a prepaid meter.

To conserve energy, you need to cut down the amount of energy consumed in your home. While this may sound like hard stuff to do, it is quite simple and easy to do if you follow the tips outlined and explained below 

 

Keep in mind that these tips will work for your home, office, and any other place where you need to conserve energy. So, let’s dive in.

 

9 sure-fire energy saving tips

1. Use LED bulbs

One way to conserve energy and get the best out of your payment is to replace all standard bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs.

Standard bulbs consume a whole lot of electric current than the LED bulbs. Although quite expensive when compared to standard bulbs, LED bulbs are energy-efficient are a better choice in the long run.

2. Use a fan when possible

Continuous use of air conditioners also contributes to the high electricity bills you pay. Air conditioners consume a lot of energy and therefore are not ideal to use always.

A fan always comes as a perfect substitute for the use of an air conditioner. The fan helps conserve energy which is just what you want to do.

3. Purchase energy-efficient appliances

As with the bulbs, it is of high importance that you purchase only energy-efficient appliances. When purchasing appliances such as iron-dishwasher er, washing machine,e, and other appliances, ensure you go for energy-conserving ones.

They are proven to be energy efficient although they are quite expensive when compared to others and they are a good return on investment for you since they conserve energy and save you the stress of high electricity bills.

 

4. Poor connection/electrical issues

The poor connection could be one reason for energy loss in the home. To conserve more energy, you need to contact an electrician to run a check on all writing connections and repair all electrical issues.

 

5. Turn off all appliances when not in use bet you didn’t know how much energy has been consumed by the appliances you left, on the whole, going out. Or did you know?

Well, if you did Kudos to you and if you didn’t know, there’s how it works.

Leaving your appliance on when not in use contributes to the vast amount of energy consumed by you. So, the next time you aren’t making use of an appliance, do turn it off.

 

Even something as minor as your phone’s charger ought to be the end off when not in use as this enables you to conserve more energy.

6. Shut all windows and doors when using an air conditioner

When using an air conditioner, do ensure to shut all windows and doors to conserve energy and get the best out of the power consumed by the air conditioner.

7. Home audit

Once in a while, conduct an audit on your home energy. A home audit gives you insight into the best ways to improve the energy efficiency and quality of your home.

 

8. Watt rating

Perform an exact rating on all your appliances to ascertain which one consumes so much energy and map out strategies to replace high energy consuming appliances with low energy consuming ones.

9. Go solar

One way to reduce the amount you spend on electricity is to get the most out of the free energy made available by the sun.

Install a solar panel and save yourself the stress of high electricity bills. There are many benefits of installing a solar panel.

Installing a solar panel gives you an edge over others as you become independent of the utility company.

To find out more about solar panel installation, contact us here.

 

Final thought

Conserving energy is an ideal thing to do. As above, you can follow those tips to conserve energy.

I would love to hear from you, what other ways do you conserve energy at home.

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Solar Energy News Solar Power

How to maintain and care for your solar battery

Solar batteries are one of the major components of your solar power system. The battery functions as the storage tank for the electrical current trapped by the solar panels.

One advantage is having a battery is that it holds the electrical current and makes it ready for use whenever you need it. That is, with your battery, you can have electricity power your appliances any time, any day, any weather as long as it is charged.

As a major component of your solar power system installations, you must take adequate care of your batteries. Batteries like any other appliance are prone to damage if not handled the right and suitable way.

Types of solar batteries

There are different types of solar batteries and they all have their distinct features. They include: 

1. Lead-acid batteries

These are one of the longest-used batteries in the solar world. The two main types of lead-acid batteries are

  • Sealed lead-acid batteries and
  • Flooded lead-acid batteries

Lead-acid batteries are cost-effective, reliable, and can be disposed of easily. They require to be kept in a well-ventilated room and they have a short life span.

2. Lithium-ion batteries

This is one of the most widely used solar batteries in the world today. They require little to no regular maintenance, can hold more energy, and have a long life span. They are equally expensive and highly inflatable.

3. Nickel-cadmium batteries

They are mostly used in the aircraft industry. They are durable, maintenance-free, and can be operated at extreme temperatures. They are highly toxic too.

4. Flow batteries

 

Care of Flooded lead-acid batteries

Your flooded lead-acid batteries require regular maintenance(once in 2-4weeks). To care for these batteries, you should check your electrolyte level and refill when low.

Ensure you equalize your battery charges every 30-90 days. Battery cable connections should be right and terminal connections neat. 

How to check the electrolyte fluid level

The flooded lead-acid batteries are liable to this kind of maintenance routine. To check the fluid level, you need to open the battery cap and have a look inside to gauge the fluid level.

If low, distilled water should be added to top the electrolyte level. For most batteries, there is a fill line indicating the expected electrolyte level. All you have to do is fill it up to that level with distilled water.

How to clean your battery

When using the flooded lead-acid batteries, spillage of acid may occur. When this occurs, it needs to be cleaned. 

To clean your batteries, get a mixture of baking soda and distilled water. Using a clean brush, apply the mixture and brush the spillage to neutralize it.

 

Care of sealed lead-acid batteries

Sealed lead-acid batteries require less maintenance. Ensure battery terminals are tight. Clean any dust collected by the batteries.

Care of lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries require the least maintenance. After installation, you need to occasionally check the state of charge to ensure they are holding a charge properly. 

This shouldn’t be a problem as your installer can walk you through the process. Ensure to check the cables and terminals for proper tightening.

How to safely replace your solar batteries

 

When batteries aren’t properly maintained, their life span may get short. In such cases, it is necessary to replace batteries with new ones.

Avoid mixing old and new batteries. For safe replacement, ensure you contact your solar energy company.

 

Tips for extending battery life

  • Use only distilled water as an electrolyte.
  • Ensure you charge your batteries properly.
  • More batteries equal more connections  So, endeavor you limit the number of batteries used.
  • Never leave your battery uncharged.
  • Equalize your battery often
  • Clean when spillage or dust collection occurs

 

AWPS renewable is one of the leading solar companies in Nigeria. We are dedicated and passionate about what we do. Our team of experienced professionals is ready to guide you as you go solar.

For more information contact us here.

You may also like how solar energy works

How to maintain your solar panels

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Solar Energy News Solar Power Solar Projects

A Step by Step Process on How Solar Energy Works

How Does Solar Energy work?

You probably must have seen those huge panels on the roof of many houses and have asked yourself “oh man how does this thing work?”. 

Well, I will walk you through the process of this solar energy works. Firstly, you should know that solar energy is the most abundant type of energy in the world today and it is gotten from the sun.

That means the sun generates energy which is converted into electricity and used to power your home, office, farm, or wherever you need your installation to be made.

You can also read solar power for beginners

Solar power is of tremendous benefit to you. Once the installation is made, here are some benefits you would get

  • It improves your home value.
  • Solar makes you independent of the utility company.
  • You contribute to saving the planet by installing solar panels.
  • You have money too.

Component of solar

The solar panels installed on the roof are just one of the components that helps in utilizing the free energy generated by the sun. The components include

  • Solar panels

  • Inverter

Solar inverter

  • Battery

Solar Batteries

How Do Solar Panels Generate Electricity?

 

1. Absorption

Each solar panel possesses solar cells which can also be called photovoltaic cells. These cells are responsible for absorbing light from the sun. The panels are connected in a series for maximum effect.

2. Electric current

When solar energy strikes the photovoltaic cells in the solar panel, it energizes it and this results in electrons getting loose from atoms. The loose electrons now are put in motion which further creates an electric current.

3. Storage

The electric current generated is stored in your battery.

4. Conversion

The current generated from the sun is a Direct Current (DC) and it is stored as such in your battery. For use in the home or any other place where the installation was made, the Direct Current needs to be converted to an Alternating Current (AC). 

That’s where the inverter comes in.

The inverter converts DC to AC.

5. Ready to use

The converted electricity is ready to use in powering your appliances.

 

A Simple Illustration on How Solar Works

Let’s look at a simpler illustration of how solar energy works. For this illustration,

 

  • The sun is likened to be fuel
  • The solar panel is likened to be a gas pump.
  • The battery is the tank and
  • The inverter is the engine.

Full connection

Here’s how it works

The sun(fuel) hits your panels(gas pump) through a chemical process and the panels turn solar energy into Direct Current (DC).

Your panel determines how much current can be stored in your battery(tank). The bigger your panels, the more energy you get from the sun to store in your battery and the longer you can run your inverter (engine).

The energy stored in the battery is a Direct Current (DC). For it to be used in powering your appliances, it needs to be converted to an Alternating Current (AC) by an Inverter.

The inverter converts the current and sends it to your devices for use.

Final thoughts

Now you know how the sun can power your home and minimize cost.

Interested in installing solar panels for your home, farm, office,e or any other place?

Explore our solar products or contact us

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Solar Energy News Solar Power Solar Projects

Solar Power For Beginners

 

 

Solar energy is the most abundant type of energy in the world. It is the energy gotten from the sun. The sun helps us in different ways. For example, it dries our clothes, dries grains, keeps the temperature of the Earth balanced, and many other benefits.

As a beginner, this article will walk you through solar power and frequently asked questions about solar energy.

What is solar power?

Solar power is the conversion of solar energy which is derived from the sun to electricity. It gives you the ability to tap into the resources hidden in the sun. Instead of powering your home, farm, office, and other stations of yours with a generator or the grid, you can power them using the energy from the sun.

The sun which is 14.24million kilometers away from the Earth can release more energy on the Earth in one hour than can be used by everyone in the world in one year.

What does solar power involve?

To effectively enjoy the free energy distributed by the sun, there are some basic components you need to set up. They include:

  • Solar panels: solar panels can be likened to a fuel pump. It captures energy from the sun and stores it in a battery.
  • Batteries: The batteries are likened to a fuel tank that receives fuel from the pump. Energy is stored as direct current (DC) form in the batteries and when needed, it is converted from direct current (DC) to an alternating current (AC) by an inverter converter, and electricity is supplied to your home, farm, office, or wherever your installation was made.

How long has solar been around?

Solar has been around for a very long time as the concept of photovoltaic was discovered far back as 1800’s. The first commercial application of photovoltaics was called solar batteries and was used in 1955 by Bell labs. They were used mainly in remote areas to power telephone switches.

Do solar panels generate electricity when it rains?

Yes, they do.

All the panel needs is a little bit of light. Somewhere about 6:30 am is bright enough to produce electricity from your patterns to charge your panels.

One thing you should keep in mind is this, during rainy days, you may not produce maximum electricity. Getting more solar panels can remedy this situation. However, it is expensive so the best you can do during rainy days is to turn off all appliances and let the sun charge your batteries or you use a generator to recharge your batteries.

Can I power my refrigerator with solar?

Yes, you can. A system of about one and a half kilowatt can power your refrigerator, freezer, lights, television, and fans without any problem.

Can solar power an air conditioner?

Yes, solar power can power an air conditioner. Although, it isn’t advisable to run an air conditioner when you have a limited solar budget because it requires more storage (more solar panels and batteries) which can be expensive.

Is the power gotten from the sun as strong as the power that comes from the grid?

Yes, it is.

The power produced is a pure sine wave which is similar to the energy produced by a good quality grid. This doesn’t allow you to get the noise you normally receive from the grid due to poor transformers or cheap generators. It also produces a constant voltage which makes your appliances happy and makes you feel comfortable.

What kind of batteries does AWPS use?

At AWPS, we use lithium ion batteries only. They can be discharged to 90% and will last for 10 years or more. They are backed by a 10 year warranty

Solar is quite expensive. Why should I buy?

Of course, solar is expensive. 

Some reasons you should consider buying solar is this

  1. It saves you from noise.
  2. When you consider the money spent on fuel, (it is quite outrageous). Solar saves you from this expense.
  3. Solar reduces noise and environmental pollution
  4. Health-related hazards that are caused by exposure to fumes are minimized.
  5. Solar saves you from poor practices that can lead to permanent disability.
  6. Maintaining a generator is expensive which isn’t the same as solar. When you install solar, you pay once, and you are covered for a long period.

Yo‏u may also like benefits of solar panel installation for your home.

Solar or inverter?

An inverter is an uninterrupted power supply. It is charged by the grid or your generator. The grid and the generator are expensive

At AWPS, our systems are designed to be a permanent backup. The circuit board of the systems are thicker, they possess cooling fans so they can run for a longer period.

Solar requires no generator unless you purchase a minimal system or run days of cloudy weather. Our system charges using solar, generator, or grid power supply.

 

There you have it, a beginner’s guide to solar power. Have you got questions about solar power?

 

 

Do well to drop them in the comment section.

Categories
Solar Energy News Solar Power

10 Stunning Benefits of Installing Solar Panels for Your Home

Having solar panels at home and getting the most out of the free energy provided by the sun each day is a wonderful decision to make.

Solar energy is renewable energy derived from the sun. Unlike other non-renewable ways of producing electricity such as oil, coal, gas, etc, the sun replenishes the energy released by itself.  A solar panel when installed traps the energy from the sun and this energy is being converted to electricity for your house use.

 

Installing a solar panel in your home which produces sufficient electricity to power your home is an economical and life-changing step to take.

Don’t take my words for it. You can have a look at the importance of solar energy and why you should install a solar panel in your home. When you are through, you’d finally be equipped with the right information which will direct your purchasing decision.

Benefits of Installing a Solar Panel for Your Home

1. Saves you money

The money spent on the use of electricity, purchase of diesel, petrol, oil and all other things required to power a generator or install a transformer is quite tremendous. While spending your cash on all of these, sometimes you still aren’t sure of the possibility of having a 24hours power supply especially if you reside in Nigeria.

The installation of solar panels at your home saves you so much money that would have been spent on other expensive means of generating power.

2. Improves home value

Installing solar panels at home gives your home a new experience which helps in improving the quality of your home.

You stop being bothered about the nuisance caused by generators, the inconsistent power supply, and you focus more on the free energy that is provided for you by the sun daily.

 

When solar panels are installed in your home, it improves the perception of your home. If in any case, you feel like selling your home in the future, be rest assured that you could make a lot from the sales as solar panels improve the reselling value of your home.

3. Independence

The use of solar energy at home makes you independent of other sources of power supply which are quite expensive in the long run. For example, you stop being dependent on the utility company to provide power supply, you become independent of the high cost of petrol, gas, oil, etc and you receive uninterrupted power supply.

4. Contribute to saving the planet

The use of fossil fuels to power homes contributes to the large emission of carbon which is harmful to the environment, plant, and human health. 

The installation of solar panels at home can help lessen the production of carbon and limit pollution of the atmosphere which in turn means a healthy planet. 

Your home can be a source of hope to the planet and make it a better place to live in if you install solar panels and tap into the free energy produced by the sun daily.

5. Renewable energy

Solar energy is renewable energy. It had unlimited use. Unlike other non-renewable sources such as coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy which cannot be renewed, solar energy which is gotten from the sun can be renewed and it will never run out of supply.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory emphasized that the sun releases more energy on the Earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year. This clarified that solar energy is bountiful and cannot get scarce or run out.

6. Healthy Legacy

The installation of solar panels in your home enables you to leave a healthy and green legacy for the future. You help in combating the emission of greenhouse gases which are harmful to the health of humans, plants, and the Earth at large when you install a solar panel.

7. Control

The use of solar energy gives you much control over the electricity in your home as you typically stop the use of every other money consuming means of producing electricity. You also have control over the kind of appliance you want to run and which you do not. The use of solar panels at home ultimately gives you control over cost and consumption.

8. Low maintenance

Unlike generators which require you to spend cash monthly or quarterly servicing and maintenance, solar panels are relatively easy to maintain. They do not require a lot of maintenance, all you have to do is keep them clean.

9. No noise, less pollution

Solar energy when converted into electricity produces no noise and reduces pollution. Unlike generators which produce noise and air pollution, solar panels don’t produce any noise while it runs neither does it produce any other form of pollution.

This attribute when compared to the use of generators makes it a healthier option for your home, environment, you, and your family.

10. Prevents global warming

Global warming as defined by NASA is an unusually rapid increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature. It is attributed primarily to the greenhouse gases which are released when burning fossil fuels.

The installation of solar panels in your home helps reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and the consumption of fossil fuels.

 

Final Thoughts

While some persons write about the pros and cons of solar panel installation in the home, we think that there are no disadvantages with solar panel installation.

Apart from the initial investment of purchasing and installing a solar panel which can be quite expensive, solar panel installation is a bold step for anyone who wants a constant power supply while saving the planet.

 

As a bonus tip, the installation of solar panels extends the life of your roof. It fosters longevity as they protect the roof from snow, rain, and debris which could affect it negatively.

Now, it’s up to you to choose to install solar panels at your homes or ignore the useful benefit of this free energy.

Categories
Solar Energy News Solar Power

Electrifying Nigerian Agriculture with Clean Minigrids to Improve Livelihoods

Electrifying Nigerian Agriculture with Clean Minigrids to Improve Livelihoods

A new Power Africa study finds immediate opportunity to initiate and scale the productive use of energy from Nigerian minigrids by electrifying three prevalent agricultural processing activities: rice milling, grain flour milling, and cassava grating.

For the hundreds of millions of people living without electricity access or poor grid supply, the ultimate goal of electrification is seamless integration of reliable power and income-generating activities that propel communities forward. Solar hybrid minigrids can provide cost-competitive and reliable service with plenty of power to run productivity-enhancing machinery to do just that.

In theory, these “productive use” activities can ensure steady sales for the minigrid company, allowing them to pay off their investment and then reinvest in bringing power to still more customers. In practice, most electrification efforts have focused on ensuring electricity supply, leaving electricity demand to grow organically. Today, minigrid loads throughout sub-Saharan Africa remain low, challenging companies, consumers, and development partners to stimulate the productive use of electricity.

In Nigeria, agriculture is the bedrock of the non-oil economy, employing two-thirds of workers and accounting for nearly a quarter of national GDP. While a sizeable portion of economic activity, agriculture contributed to just 2.4 percent of Nigeria’s total foreign earnings in 2019. Strengthening agricultural exports could pay macroeconomic dividends by reducing Nigerian dependence on foreign exchange from exporting oil to fickle international markets. But energy poverty applies friction across the entire agricultural value chain, increasing costs and decreasing quality of agricultural products and hampering export potential.

 

Overcoming Agricultural Energy Challenges

In our experiences with small- and medium-sized agribusinesses, the lack of consistent electricity is cited as one of the foremost challenges to smooth business operations. The World Bank reports that getting access to electricity ranks as one of the major constraints for the private sector in Nigeria. Innovation to increase energy efficiency, supply reliable power, and maximize income is required to improve the livelihoods of agribusiness entrepreneurs.

For Habibu Lawal, a rice miller in Kaduna State, the status quo is costly. He spends $12/day on diesel alone to operate his old, inefficient rice mill. He estimates that the aging motor takes another $12/month to service and repair. Worse still, the outdated one-stage mill shatters a significant portion of the rice grains as the bran and husk are removed, reducing the amount of salable milled rice for every kilogram of raw paddy rice he feeds into the machine.

A new two-stage electric rice mill could cut operating costs by roughly 10% at a $0.60/kWh tariff while increasing the yield of milled rice by 20%–30% and improving the quality of his final product. But without access to financing or reliable electricity in his community, the noisy, unreliable, and expensive diesel-powered machine is Mr. Lawal’s only option.

Despite the clear opportunity, rural electrification and agricultural activities are not tightly integrated. Why? One reason is that agricultural value chains are complex, and there are myriad ways that electricity can be used in them. Should minigrid electricity heat dryers or turn flour mills or chill freezers? Which of these options is the best place to start?

new study by the USAID Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Program, led by RMI and conducted in partnership with Sahel Consulting, answers these questions by identifying:

  • the most promising agricultural productive uses to electrify,
  • how these opportunities can be sustained through commercial business models, and
  • the strategies stakeholders can use to overcome barriers to deployment.

 

The Most Promising Agricultural Productive Uses to Electrify

We analyzed 12 crop value chains across Nigeria’s Kaduna and Cross River states, using more than 250 field interviews with farmers, processors, and traders in over 40 rural communities. We also conducted an extensive literature review and discussions with sector experts. Activities with the most potential for immediate electrification demonstrated local capacity to conduct the processing, existing markets for the product, availability of electric processing equipment in Nigeria, and scalability. Considering these factors, prospective activities were classified into three tiers:

  • Tier 1, immediately ready for deployment
  • Tier 2, strong medium-term potential with support to overcome one or more barriers
  • Tier 3, longer-term potential if additional barriers are addressed

The figure below rates each activity on each criterion, summarizing detailed analysis of each value chain and evaluating the viability of electrifying processing activities from farm gate to final consumer.

Exhibit 1: Combinations of processing activities and value chains analyzed, including tier rankings and scoring summaries across four evaluation criteria.

Cassava grating, grain flour milling, and rice milling are three clear Tier 1 activities primed for immediate electrification and deployment in Nigerian minigrids. Each of these can be electrified at scale in existing minigrids today, with little to no market development support. For example, most minigrid-suitable communities in rural Nigeria already host small grain flour millers who convert maize, sorghum, cowpea, soybean, and other local crops into flours and meals used to make staple foods. These mills are fossil-fuel powered, typically utilizing antiquated combustion engines as the prime mover. For example, multi-crop electric flour mills could be operated using the skills that local millers already have, to serve a preexisting local offtake market, using domestically manufactured electrical appliances, at countrywide scale.

 

The Business Case for Investment

Further, there is a clear business case for investment by processors in electric equipment for Tier 1 activities, all of which can be paid back within two years. Our analysis shows that these productive loads also significantly improve minigrid economics by consuming surplus solar power during Nigeria’s sunny afternoon hours. In the scenario with the most productive use adoption (nine cassava graters, 12 flour mills, and five rice mills), the increased electricity sales volume decreased the electricity price required to recoup the minigrid investment by 19%.

 

Exhibit 2: Load profiles for a simulated solar-hybrid minigrid at vary levels of productive use adoption.

Synchronizing agricultural processing with minigrid electricity can improve livelihoods, enhance the financial viability of rural electrification, and reduce electricity prices for consumers. And these opportunities are not limited to Nigeria, as RMI’s ongoing work in Ethiopia, A2EI’s recent research in Tanzania, and Power For All‘ s #PoweringAg campaign clearly show. But breaking the status quo of asynchronous agricultural development and electrification will require significant changes.

 

Strategies for Stakeholders

First, cross-sectoral collaboration between agriculture and energy stakeholders will be indispensable. Today, there is little coordination between actors and projects, leaving most minigrid developers to figure out agricultural productive use on their own, with very little connection to the experts leading the agricultural development efforts occurring in parallel throughout Nigeria. Collaboration can scale and deepen impact. For instance, livestock nutrition programs that increase cow milk productivity will be more successful if paired with cold chain infrastructure that ensures excess dairy makes it to market. This collaboration can be expanded across national borders to replicate best practices.

Second, commercial business models must connect the appliance buyer to affordable credit and reliable power. Our report proposes three different business models that can be used to deploy and scale Tier 1 and Tier 2 productive use activities by addressing financing gaps.

Third, we must learn by doing, and by listening. The history of development spending is rife with well-intentioned interventions that failed to benefit the people they aimed to serve. Pilot projects in advance of widespread deployment can test whether electrical appliances are functional and meet processor and customer needs. Pilots can also provide data on the compatibility of equipment with minigrid hardware, and on the electricity consumption patterns of productive use customers. This data can further demonstrate the financial viability of these investments to inform prospective lenders’ risk perception.

Nigeria’s federal government understands this need. The Rural Electrification Agency is now launching productive use pilots through the Nigerian Electrification Project with the African Development Bank and World Bank. Further, as SEforALL advocates, there is an opportunity to incorporate direct links between electrification and small-holder agriculture in COVID-19 recovery efforts.

The opportunities for electrification in Nigeria have never been brighter. Energy access technologies are poised to deploy at breakneck speed with dramatic cost reductions in sight, and are receiving attention from government, development partners, and the private sector. However, it is essential that distributed energy resources are coupled with business models that boost local livelihoods by using electricity to address pressing unmet needs in agricultural value chains. Pairing productive use and rural electrification with an effective deployment strategy will unlock local economic development and can serve as a springboard toward realizing the mission of rural electrification.

 

Note: This article first appeared on USAID’s Facebook Page, view here

 

 

Source: https://rmi.org/electrifying-nigerian-agriculture-with-clean-minigrids-to-improve-livelihoods/

https://www.sun-connect-news.org/articles/market/details/electrifying-nigerian-agriculture-with-clean-minigrids-to/