Living in Nigeria with its peculiar electricity problem makes it almost mandatory to have a generator. Generators are fuel guzzlers and they leak the pockets dangerously. On the average, it cost about N60 per KWH to power a gasoline generator. The question on many mouths is what can be done to reduce the fuelling cost. To start with, let's understand how a generator works. A powered gasoline generator even without load consumes fuel. Let us call this the fixed energy cost. The higher the wattage of you generator, the more the fixed energy cost.For a 4kva, It consumes about 0.3litres per hour on no load ( this value may increase as the efficiency of the generator diminishes over time). The attached graph is the fuel consumption to load plot for a 4kva generator.

So if this generator is powered for 1 hours at a 50% load, it would have consumed 1.6 litres ( 0.41gallons) of gasoline (petrol) which at the going price of N87 will be N139.20. The KWH cost will be N139.20/(2kva (50% of 4kva) * 0.8( power factor)= N87 per KWH.

If the same generator is powered at 100% load, it would consume 2litre ( 0.55 gallons) which will cost N174. The KWH cost will now be N174/(4kva* 0.8 )= N54.30.

It is clear from above that pushing the generator towards its maximum load capacity maximizes our cost savings. In this case we are able to save N33 per KWH.

How can we use the above information to save us the cost of fueling.

1. Buy generators whose rating is about at least 75% of your load requirement. This could be tricky because our load requirements varies across the day. For example, we put on the Tv and lights during the day but we off them and instead put on the fans. Day load requirements for typical small families varies between 3kva during the day and 1.5kvA at night through to the morning.

2. Use an Inverter - an inverter helps to store excess energy from the generator. Assuming your total day load requirement is 3kVA and night load is 1.5kva, if you have an inverter with 2kva rating, one night of generator use would have fully charged the inverter which you can then use the next night. That would save you the cost of fueling the generator for that night. So instead of speeding N54 per hour for 2 nights, the N87 per hour spent the previous night would guarantee power the next night. That's a saving of N108-N87= N21. Using the inverter will also allow your generator to last longer because it now works less days.

This is just one more reason to use an inverter. We already know that Inverters saves you money also when the public power is available. Public power costs N21 per KWH.

op come back, u no paste am finish

lagbaja:
Living in Nigeria with its peculiar electricity problem makes it almost mandatory to have a generator. Generators are fuel guzzlers and they leak the pockets dangerously. On the average, it cost about N60 per KWH to power a gasoline generator. The question on many mouths is what can be done to reduce the fuelling cost. To start with, let's understand how a generator works. A powered gasoline generator even without load consumes fuel. Let us call this the fixed energy cost. The higher the wattage of you generator, the more the fixed energy cost.For a 4kva, It consumes about 0.3litres per hour on no load ( this value may increase as the efficiency of the generator diminishes over time). The attached graph is the fuel consumption to load plot for a 4kva generator.

So if this generator is powered for 1 hours at a 50% load, it would have consumed 1.6 litres ( 0.41gallons) of gasoline (petrol) which at the going price of N87 will be N139.20. The KWH cost will be N139.20/(2kva (50% of 4kva) * 0.8( power factor)= N87 per KWH.

If the same generator is powered at 100% load, it would consume 2litre ( 0.55 gallons) which will cost N174. The KWH cost will now be N174/(4kva* 0.8 )= N54.30.

It is clear from above that pushing the generator towards its maximum load capacity maximizes our cost savings. In this case we are able to save N33 per KWH.

How can we use the above information to save us the cost of fueling.

1. Buy generators whose rating is about at least 75% of your load requirement. This could be tricky because our load requirements varies across the day. For example, we put on the Tv and lights during the day but we off them and instead put on the fans. Day load requirements for typical small families varies between 3kva during the day and 1.5kvA at night through to the morning.

2. Use an Inverter - an inverter helps to store excess energy from the generator. Assuming your total day load requirement is 3kVA and night load is 1.5kva, if you have an inverter with 2kva rating, one night of generator use would have fully charged the inverter which you can then use the next night. That would save you the cost of fueling the generator for that night. So instead of speeding N54 per hour for 2 nights, the N87 per hour spent the previous night would guarantee power the next night. That's a saving of N108-N87= N21. Using the inverter will also allow your generator to last longer because it now works less days.

This is just one more reason to use an inverter. We already know that Inverters saves you money also when the public power is available. Public power costs N21 per KWH.

great analysis...pls can u help me with where and how i can get retail dry brewery waste in ibadan.I would like to buy some.

ACESON:



great analysis...pls can u help me with where and how i can get retail dry brewery waste in ibadan.I would like to buy some.

You can get it around Busorock Hotel (Alakia) on the other side of the express.

Nice thread. However, Inverter doesn't save power. Batteries do. I learned from your analysis nonetheless