I firmly believe the future of electricity lies with localized generation, especially with solar. I've seen a dramatic increase in solar-powered projects all over Nigeria as panels get cheaper, centralized power is still erratic (and in some towns, non-existent), and fuel can suddenly become scarce. It wouldn't surprise me if in 10-20 years, most people move from generator to solar, and the combined sum of solar panels on people's roofs eventually generate more electricity than PHCN.

I think it's in our best interests as builders, contractors, customers, manufacturers, to get on board this train, fully understand the future, and guide the direction of this future so we won't suddenly be left behind.

That said, I think there are a number of places that solar needs to improve before it becomes the default choice for power generation for most people:

1. it has to cost less; I think it will, as more people use it
2. it has to be more reliable; we need to educate the market about maintenance and battery replacement
3. it has to be more efficient; we need to use it with the most appropriate devices (the heart of this topic)
4. it has to be more useful than just lighting (solar really can't power a fridge, or AC, or stove or water heater); I'll try to tackle this in this topic too
4. it needs to be manufactured in Nigeria, suited for our climate; I initially thought PSC Solar UK was actually going manufacture, but was sorely disappointed to find they were yet another retailer.

OK, why this post?

After realizing the future of solar and the potential for us in Nigeria, I decided to embark on a project that would be fully solar powered. After a lot of research, it seems that a 100% powered hostel would be the best test bed for this experiment. The main reason is that the power requirements of students in a hostel is relatively low: LED lights, a fan, and ability to charge a phone. On the other hand, a family might also require: AC, cooker, washing machine, fridge, deep freezer), all things that significantly drive up the cost of the solar installation.

After deciding on students, it occurred to me that the installation can be made even more efficient and cheaper if we got rid of the inverter: most devices a student needs uses low voltage DC: mobile phone, laptop, small TV, fan, lights. All these devices require a step down transformer to convert 220V AC down to 5V-12V DC. After more research, it seems the act of stepping the low voltage from a solar panel up to 220V, just to step it down to 5V loses up to 40% energy. If you can charge your mobile directly from a 12V panel and a 5V regulator, you'd need a smaller panel, smaller battery, no inverter, and save significant money.

So I imagine a whole bunch of solar-powered hostels, highly efficient and tuned to students' needs, without worry about fuel scarcity, generator maintenance, or erratic power supply. The only caveat, at least initially, is that these hostels cannot support some things that students might also rely on: iron, ac, electric cooker, and other random AC appliances. However, I think if we understand the shortcomings and maximize the positives, we might actually have a viable project that students and their landlords will love.

Which leads me to our minimum viable project: it's a tiny 6m X 6m two-room bungalow with a kitchen and bathroom for 4 people. It's a tiny project, and some might even say why bother. To be honest, I have grander plans, but this is what I can afford right now. It's something to test our ideas and cheaply make mistakes before we embark on anything bigger. Here's a floor plan and the proposed elevations, nothing professional, but we'll be employing best practice.

This post is really a log of our ideas, failures, and successes; it should also be a great discussion board for everyone to share ideas and learn from; it is also a solicitation from interested contractors, suppliers, dreamers as we go along. We'll also be discussing how we reduce costs (e.g. using compressed earth blocks, no German floor, no ensuites or ante rooms, and absolutely no columns).

There's even the radical idea of using solar panels as the roofing material. In other words, instead of the traditional wood work and roofing sheets, I'm thinking we can weld and rainproof panels together to form a 6mx6m roof that is then attached to roof. Initial cost analysis of the number of solar panels vs wood&sheets seems to suggest it's not too stupid an idea, besides we can use the money from traditional roofing materials to buy more panels and support more appliances. More analysis to follow.

All in all, this looks like quite an exciting project, so let's get started.

OK, so what is a minimum viable product (MVP). I'll borrow a few quotes to explain what it means:

The concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is generally taken as being the simplest and easiest version of the product you can build that delivers customer value.

The software manufacturer builds and releases (often to a customer subset such as the early adopters) a completely bare-bones version of a product in order to

- get customer feedback
- learn about the product in use, and
- get some revenue.

There are two key words in the definition

Firstly the product should be viable. In other words it should solve the customers problem, add core value, and provide a complete focused experience to the early adopters. The diagram at the head of this post illustrates the principle. If you were creating the first car by a lean and agile process you would not first release the wheels, then the axle, then the coachwork, as none of these elements on their own are viable. It would be better to develop a powered skateboard, then a powered scooter, then a motorbike, so that at each step you provide the complete experience of powered wheeled transport.

Secondly the product should be minimum. It should be the smallest subset of features that delivers value, because this is your starting point to lean about how the user interacts with the product, and which then allows you to take the next development step.

From: http://www.nickmilton.com/2015/07/lean-km-and-minimum-viable-product.html

For us it means, what is the smallest/cheapest 100% solar-powered building that we can build to demonstrate how well solar can work, concentrating solely on low-energy needs: lighting, fan, water pump, mobile and laptop charge? It has to be 100% solar, off the grid, with no support for 220V AC. I believe this MVP will solve a few core issues: constant electricity so we can study at night, charge our phones, cool down and not fetch water in buckets.

In addition, as we grow and learn, we'll learn how best to support other high-energy devices (fridge, AC, cooker, washing machine) but only using solar.

Solar-powered Hostel,good!

Following

nextstep:


There's even the radical idea of using solar panels as the roofing material. In other words, instead of the traditional wood work and roofing sheets, I'm thinking we can weld and rainproof panels together to form a 6mx6m roof that is then attached to roof. Initial ost analysis of the number of solar panels vs wood&sheets seems to suggest it's not too stupid an idea, besides we can use the money from traditional roofing materials to buy more panels and support more appliances.

This one got me. This will be one hell of an innovation. I'll love to see contributions on this. Following

fippycbk:


This one got me. This will be one hell of an innovation. I'll love to see contributions on this. Following

Since we're going for a decidedly minimalist look, I wanted a very simple roof, with just enough pitch to drain rain, and so the solar panels are tilted towards the sun in the evenings. Also wanted something with the fewest sections and the least surface area. Looking at this thread reinforced my gut feeling about simplicity and cost, https://www.nairaland.com/2550211/off-topic-thread-discuss-anything-everything/16#37616612 so our roof is reduced to a simple rectangle placed on the building: skillion roof. The cost of traditional roofing for a building 36 sq meters could be about N500k - N800k depending on location, complexity, material cost, and labour, but with the simplification of a skillion roof, we'll say around N650k using good quality materials.

Then I got to thinking how much it would cost to mount the solar panels on top of that, and started doing some math:

Good solar panels in Nigeria costs between N240/watt - N300/watt. We estimate that a 4kW system will provide enough power for lights and misc devices, for 2-3 days without sunlight. This means our solar panel cost (not including inverters or batteries) will range from N960k - N1.2M. Solar panels are already well designed to withstand rain, hail, wind, etc. and are supposed to last 20 years or so. They also come with the aluminium frame and backing material "for free", which means if one can weld or bolt these panels/frames together and add a few supporting beams, one could get a decent roof made of solar panels for not too much more cost.

Using 250W panels, we'd need 16 panels (4kW/250W), and each of these panels measures about 1.65M x .990M, which means we can cover some serious square footage (16 x 1.65m x 0.9m = 23.76 sq m). To cover our building of 36 sq m we'd need 24 panels (4 x 1.65m = 6.6m wide, and 6 x .990m = 5.94m long). The cost of those 8 extra panels (24-16) ranges from N480k to 600k, which is in the ballpark of a traditional roof. Having these extra watts means you can start considering adding a small cooker, AC and/or washer which could really sweeten the appeal and draw higher rent.

I saw a solar carport around Ikeja and filed that knowledge away. Later I searched online for "solar carport" and based on what I'm seeing, I
think this could really work for a small building. I don't know how well this will scale for bigger buildings with complex roofs, but I think if the owner is committed to solar, he/she can use the money budgeted for generator, fuel and maintenance, and instead invest it in energy-generating surface area.

Now on to the building carcass... we're looking at compressed earth blocks (CEB), and I was really pleased to read a post by remmyjay007 showing their use. I like them because of their superior strength, sound insulation, and thermal mass in comparison to concrete blocks. You use much less motar overall for your project, and the blocks have holes that can be used to support iron and to channel conduits for water and electricity. Also they don't need to be plastered or painted, use the available sand on the site, and much more. In short, read https://www.nairaland.com/2209886/affordable-housing to see all its advantages. I remember staying in two houses designed and built by an architect who used fired earth bricks and found the rooms so cool it didn't need AC or fan. In fact, I think it's a misnomer to call them "affordable bricks", when this is what we should modernize and standardize for building projects of a certain size.

In researching beams for roofing, I really like the way the beams rest in spaces in the brick wall and will explore this for our site

Here's a slightly modified version, this time using regular sandcrete blocks and plastering, rather than the compressed earth blocks. It's a bit more minimalist, with just a bit of the brick on part of the front wall.

For this version, we'd like to experiment with windows sized 6 inches wide which should be smaller than what most adults can fit through. This allows us to avoid burglary proof.

Also reduced the size of the roof so it no longer overhangs the building, and in its place, there's a rectangular awning covering the entry doorway. The entire front slab is going to be extended by a shallow poured concrete patio, perhaps with an umbrella covering for relaxing outside. The front of the building faces East, so it won't be overwhelmed with sunlight in the late afternoon and evening.

There are two air vents, one in the bathroom, and one in the kitchen, to pull out hot humid air.

fippycbk:


This one got me. This will be one hell of an innovation. I'll love to see contributions on this. Following

This is not new and solar roof is already commercially available.

EgunMogaji:


This is not new and solar roof is already commercially available.

Good to know. That's a welcome development.

EgunMogaji:


This is not new and solar roof is already commercially available.

Link please. I've looked extensively, but I could only find either:
- solar panels attached to existing roof
- solar shingles also attached to existing roof
- solar carports, which is what this idea is based on

But nothing specific to what we're hoping for: a roof for a house built entirely from solar panels and some supporting beams without any underlying roof made from sheets/tiles/shingle. Nothing I've seen makes me think it's been done before.

The carports in the pictures above show that it's possible, we only need to waterproof the array well enough to prevent leaks and insulate the roof from the ceiling.

It would be great if you had a link to share so we could all benefit from how they did it

nextstep:


Link please. I've looked extensively, but I could only find either:
- solar panels attached to existing roof
- solar shingles also attached to existing roof
- solar carports, which is what this idea is based on

But nothing specific to what we're hoping for: a roof for a house built entirely from solar panels and some supporting beams without any underlying roof made from sheets/tiles/shingle. Nothing I've seen makes me think it's been done before.

The carports in the pictures above show that it's possible, we only need to waterproof the array well enough to prevent leaks and insulate the roof from the ceiling.

It would be great if you had a link to share so we could all benefit from how they did it

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/im-getting-my-roof-redone-and-heard-about-solar-shingles/

I've been inside a house with solar shingles in 2005 or 2006 I think (I moved to Texas in 06 and it was before then). Not solar panels but solar shingles. House was about 7,500 square feet with another building of about 1,900 square feet for classic car storage.

Just as an aside, I'm self designing the electricals in my house to be all solar powered from the get go. Cables will be solar specific as I'm using low voltage wiring for lights and such. I will have a room full of batteries and a small generator to supplement solar charging.

By calculations and research, though I would love to control all from one source but I think there will be several stand alone units. Example the driveway gate will have it's own standalone battery and charging system, the wholehouse fan will have it's own.

To really save watts I will have sensors in each room to auto shut off if no movement detected.

I have a coworker that is earning money from Southern California Edison (our version of NEPA) monthly by suppyling electricity back into the grid. He has all the electricity he needs and the left overs goes into the grid. Who cool is that? He won't tell me his setup cost and that tells me it's probably lofty.

All this being said, I may just go with the flow and just hitch up with NEPA. There's something about Nigeria that makes me tired and unproductive.

Solar shingles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFifYKigvXk

EgunMogaji:


http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/im-getting-my-roof-redone-and-heard-about-solar-shingles/

I've been inside a house with solar shingles in 2005 or 2006 I think (I moved to Texas in 06 and it was before then). Not solar panels but solar shingles. House was about 7,500 square feet with another building of about 1,900 square feet for classic car storage.

Yes, that's what I was talking about though: the shingles are being attached to an existing sheathing. There's a ton of woodwork: beams, joists, treated plywood, waterproof underlaying, and flashing that needs to be installed. Then come the shingles (either sheets, tiles, solar shingles or regular shingles). The shingles cannot span any distance themselves without a rigid backing already in place. A solar panel, being a rigid aluminum frame, can span 1.65m by .9m which could eliminate all that underlaying roofing material. That's the distinction...

nextstep:


Yes, that's what I was talking about though: the shingles are being attached to an existing sheathing. There's a ton of woodwork: beams, joists, treated plywood, waterproof underlaying, and flashing that needs to be installed. Then come the shingles (either sheets, tiles, solar shingles or regular shingles). The shingles cannot span any distance themselves without a rigid backing already in place. A solar panel, being a rigid aluminum frame, can span 1.65m by .9m which could eliminate all that underlaying roofing material. That's the distinction...

Shingles can never stand on their own and need the roof support.

This is how we build houses in the US to building codes.

The manufacturers are replacing traditional shingles with solar shingles and they are correct. It' shingles for shingles.

http://www.professionalroofing.net/Articles/Tech-Today--03-01-2008/1252

"Code requirements
Electrical installations, including photovoltaic applications, typically are governed by the National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 70®: National Electrical Code® (NEC). NEC's Article 690—Solar Photovoltaic Systems applies specifically to photovoltaic installations and provides requirements for photovoltaic systems and the related array circuits, inverters and controllers.
NEC specifically requires that photovoltaic modules and panels and their related equipment be listed for specific installations."

EgunMogaji:
Just as an aside, I'm self designing the electricals in my house to be all solar powered from the get go. Cables will be solar specific as I'm using low voltage wiring for lights and such. I will have a room full of batteries and a small generator to supplement solar charging.

By calculations and research, though I would love to control all from one source but I think there will be several stand alone units. Example the driveway gate will have it's own standalone battery and charging system, the wholehouse fan will have it's own.

To really save watts I will have sensors in each room to auto shut off if no movement detected.

I have a coworker that is earning money from Southern California Edison (our version of NEPA) monthly by suppyling electricity back into the grid. He has all the electricity he needs and the left overs goes into the grid. Who cool is that? He won't tell me his setup cost and that tells me it's probably lofty.

All this being said, I may just go with the flow and just hitch up with NEPA. There's something about Nigeria that makes me tired and unproductive.

I'm also planning to have at least 3 circuits in the house:

1. lights, usb charging outlets, fans; these are lightweight in terms of watts but essential. Battery backed. Each of our rooms will use 40-60w of led lights at 24v (which we are manufacturing BTW). I hadn't thought of motion detection to save energy but that's a great idea

2: auxiliary: water pump, TV, stereo, gates; more energy usage, nice to have but not essential. Can also put more, non critical lights on this circuit. Also battery backed. Ideally no inverter needed if you choose dc models.

3: heavy duty: AC, induction cooker: these won't be battery backed since you'd need a lot of batteries to support them. Instead will run directly off solar when the sun is shining bright. If you can cool your home and fridge during the hot day, they should remain cool during the night

We're also planning to install only usb-a sockets in the wall so you can charge devices efficiently

Personally, I don't think solar homes in the US makes any sense: you spend $20-$40k upfront (still steep, even with tax credits) to install when you have a reliable grid; save less than $200/month in utility bills for 6 months per year (don't think you save much in Winter); the thing takes 20-30 years to pay itself off; you may move within that time. If you really want to save/make money and you have $20k-$40k lying around, just buy some stocks and sit on them for 30 years.

On the other hand, since NEPA is so unreliable (non existent in some towns), I think there's a lot of savings to be gained by ditching NEPA and high voltage entirely. Now if you have more than 12 hours of electricity/day, solar may not be worth it, just get an inverter and battery bank.

EgunMogaji:


Shingles can never stand on their own and need the roof support.

This is how we build houses in the US to building codes.

The manufacturers are replacing traditional shingles with solar shingles and they are correct. It' shingles for shingles.

http://www.professionalroofing.net/Articles/Tech-Today--03-01-2008/1252

I see where you're coming from, but it's very different from what I'm proposing.

In summary: nobody (as far as we can tell) has created a self-supported solar roof for a house made of solar panels. Panels currently are attached to existing roofs that have been prepared in the traditional ways. Solar shingles are taking this one step further by replacing traditional roofing sheets and shingles. Our radical idea takes this even a step further and says, "you don't need to prepare a roof, then attach panels or solar shingles; the roof is made of panels"

nextstep:


I'm also planning to have at least 3 circuits in the house:

1. lights, usb charging outlets, fans; these are lightweight in terms of watts but essential. Battery backed. Each of our rooms will use 40-60w of led lights at 24v (which we are manufacturing BTW). I hadn't thought of motion detection to save energy but that's a great idea

2: auxiliary: water pump, TV, stereo, gates; more energy usage, nice to have but not essential. Can also put more, non critical lights on this circuit. Also battery backed. Ideally no inverter needed if you choose dc models.

3: heavy duty: AC, induction cooker: these won't be battery backed since you'd need a lot of batteries to support them. Instead will run directly off solar when the sun is shining bright. If you can cool your home and fridge during the hot day, they should remain cool during the night

We're also planning to install only usb-a sockets in the wall so you can charge devices efficiently

Personally, I don't think solar homes in the US makes any sense: you spend $20-$40k upfront (still steep, even with tax credits) to install when you have a reliable grid; save less than $200/month in utility bills for 6 months per year (don't think you save much in Winter); the thing takes 20-30 years to pay itself off; you may move within that time. If you really want to save/make money and you have $20k-$40k lying around, just buy some stocks and sit on them for 30 years.

On the other hand, since NEPA is so unreliable (non existent in some towns), I think there's a lot of savings to be gained by ditching NEPA and high voltage entirely. Now if you have more than 12 hours of electricity/day, solar may not be worth it, just get an inverter and battery bank.

Actually solar makes a lot of sense in the US.

1) Rural areas. Not all of US has electricity. And some characters chose to go and leave way out there off grid so they need that.

2) Income. Some people do get sell electricity back to the grid. We're a comsumptious economy so every little bit helps.

3) Green Ego. Being green is cool. It's not only about the money but quite a lot of people take being green as a social requirement.

nextstep:
Right. So in summary: nobody (as far as we can tell) has created a self-supported solar roof for a house made of solar panels. This is our radical idea.

So as an entrepreneur as well as a tinkerer, the first question I would ask is why haven't they.

Can't meet any responsible building codes? Having voltage without separation between weather and structure occupants.

I salute your tenacity and wish you well but I will never have as such in any house I'm going to sleep in.

EgunMogaji:


Actually solar makes a lot of sense in the US.

1) Rural areas. Not all of US has electricity. And some characters chose to go and leave way out there off grid so they need that.

2) Income. Some people do get sell electricity back to the grid. We're a comsumptious economy so every little bit helps.

3) Green Ego. Being green is cool. It's not only about the money but quite a lot of people take being green as a social requirement.

1. Agreed. It makes sense in rural areas where there's no reliable grid. I was arguing against those who install it in well served cities.

2. I'm not sure that spending $30k today in one lump sum, so they can get $100 per month back, half the year, is any real income. They can do better buying bonds or stocks or somesuch. I really doubt this makes economic sense. It's like the folks who spend $50k for an electric car so they can save $100/month on gas over 5 years ($6k) instead of just buying the $20k gasoline car. Not rational (if the reason was only to save money)

3. I understand people want to be green, but the purification of silicon into solar cells is not green at all. It uses dangerous materials and is quite polluting. The smelting of the aluminum frame also takes a ton of energy. And the batteries: mining and refining lithium is way more polluting than a scrubbed coal plant. Don't forget you need to toss them every two years.


Again, if the only issue was to be eco-friendly, buying a ton of stuff that is not currently manufactured in an eco-friendly manner is not the way to do it. I imagine that using solar long term is more eco-friendly, but it's not the guaranteed feel-good if all that goes into solar energy production is taken into account.

Why do solar then? I think it makes perfect sense if you don't have a reliable grid. It will make better eco-sense as components are made with much less pollution and also importantly, in solar-powered factories. It makes a lot of sense as we transition to more efficient devices that need less energy.

EgunMogaji:


So as an entrepreneur as well as a tinkerer, the first question I would ask is why haven't they.

Can't meet any responsible building codes? Having voltage without separation between weather and structure occupants.

I salute your tenacity and wish you well but I will never have as such in any house I'm going to sleep in.

Not sure why it hasn't, but car ports have been made with it. It might be an issue of existing building codes and insurance liabilities.

12v or 24v will not shock anybody (24v might induce some tingling if you're wet); there's an insulating ceiling between roof and occupants. If it's raining, it's highly likely it's not sunny, therefore little voltage is being generated

Thanks for the encouragement. Part of why I like this forum is to ask these questions so hopefully we'll either get rational answer for why not, or be able push the envelope once we're sure of how it can be safe.

nextstep:


I see where you're coming from, but it's very different from what I'm proposing.

In summary: nobody (as far as we can tell) has created a self-supported solar roof for a house made of solar panels. Panels currently are attached to existing roofs that have been prepared in the traditional ways. Solar shingles are taking this one step further by replacing traditional roofing sheets and shingles. Our radical idea takes this even a step further and says, "you don't need to prepare a roof, then attach panels or solar shingles; the roof is made of panels"

Exactly my point. This was what I had in mind when oga Egun mentioned earlier that the solar panels doubling as roofing sheets have been used.

EgunMogaji:
Just as an aside, I'm self designing the electricals in my house to be all solar powered from the get go. Cables will be solar specific as I'm using low voltage wiring for lights and such. I will have a room full of batteries and a small generator to supplement solar charging.

By calculations and research, though I would love to control all from one source but I think there will be several stand alone units. Example the driveway gate will have it's own standalone battery and charging system, the wholehouse fan will have it's own.

To really save watts I will have sensors in each room to auto shut off if no movement detected.

I have a coworker that is earning money from Southern California Edison (our version of NEPA) monthly by suppyling electricity back into the grid. He has all the electricity he needs and the left overs goes into the grid. Who cool is that? He won't tell me his setup cost and that tells me it's probably lofty.

All this being said, I may just go with the flow and just hitch up with NEPA. There's something about Nigeria that makes me tired and unproductive.

Sir, the cable will still be normal wiring cables for all the lights, sockets, AC and water heater. The only thing solar or inverter does is to convert DC(DIRECT CURRENT) to AC(ALTERNATIING CURRENT). The outpout voltage of inverter or solar is still going to be 220V-240V, 50Hz. The battery/ies does the major workby discharging when there is no power, inverter equipment is just to convert DC to AC, turning the battery's DC power into AC at a frequency of 50–60 hertz. In our elementary physics in secondary school, we learnt how to convert DC generator to AC and AC generator to DC generator by replacing the armature coil. Solar is just for charging batteries and same work PHCN/generator does. All the big UPS equipment have something that will convert the DC to AC when there is no power supply to the equipment.

Thanks

topsy23:


Sir, the cable will still be normal wiring cables for all the lights, sockets, AC and water heater. The only thing solar or inverter does is to convert DC(DIRECT CURRENT) to AC(ALTERNATIING CURRENT). The outpout voltage of inverter or solar is still going to be 220V-240V, 50Hz. The battery/ies does the major workby discharging when there is no power, inverter equipment is just to convert DC to AC, turning the battery's DC power into AC at a frequency of 50–60 hertz. In our elementary physics in secondary school, we learnt how to convert DC generator to AC and AC generator to DC generator by replacing the armature coil. Solar is just for charging batteries and same work PHCN/generator does. All the big UPS equipment have something that will convert the DC to AC when there is no power supply to the equipment.

Thanks

Not on my project

I'm using different cables that are more efficient and with solar power in mind. Most of what you wrote doesn't apply to this project.

There's s loss when you use standard cables.

Thanks.

fippycbk:


Exactly my point. This was what I had in mind when oga Egun mentioned earlier that the solar panels doubling as roofing sheets have been used.

I stand by my submission. There are standard roofing codes and you can't reasonably place anything with live currents on top of livable space without protection.

Solar shingles exists and has been used since 2000s. Solar shingles with no traditional and acceptable roof support doesn't exist for a reason.

Good luck on the project.

Egun out.

EgunMogaji:


Not on my project

I'm using different cables that are more efficient and with solar power in mind. Most of what you wrote doesn't apply to this project.

There's s loss when you use standard cables.

Thanks.

Nigeria cable is one of the best cable. Most of nigerian consultant don't specify imported cables.

topsy23:


Nigeria cable is one of the best cable. Most of nigerian consultant don't specify imported cables.

It's okay. I've never met any American builder that will recommend or use Nigerian cable

I sometimes wonder how a house built with concrete burns so robustly in Nigeria.

I'll be bringing in lots of materials from the U.S. because it's a quality that I know.

Not saying Nigerian cables are not good but......

EgunMogaji:


It's okay. I've never met any American builder that will recommend or use Nigerian cable

I sometimes wonder how a house built with concrete burns so robustly in Nigeria.

I'll be bringing in lots of materials from the U.S. because it's a quality that I know.

Not saying Nigerian cables are not good but......

Boss remember that US voltage is 110V and their cable is is designed for 110V 60Hz. Here in Nigeria is 220V, 50Hz

topsy23:


Boss remember that US voltage is 110V and their cable is is designed for 110V 60Hz. Here in Nigeria is 220V, 50Hz

We use 240 volts here too but my house will be 110 volts

Nigeria is not as unique as you think.

EgunMogaji:


We use 240 volts here too but my house will be 110 volts

Nigeria is not as unique as you think.

Am not saying Nigeria is unique but we should be proud of father land . It means the output of your generator will be 110V as well. All the electronics must be 110V AC supply. But in future and things change for best for our dear country and you want to connect to public supply, u need to pull out all the cables and re-run another cables because 110V cables might not withstand 220V supply voltage