George_D:

yes, that's right. i got my hands full at the moment as you can see.

phcn no dey let us see road and i don tire to run generator everyday so what can man do but to do it high tech way?

i just installed yet another set of solar modules as you see from the thread below.

you can also see the highlander at the background while my brothers were lifting the bracket on the way to rooftop.

after now, i sure say na madam ride i go face next.

no be small thing oooo!

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-390522.32.html#msg6471163

inspired_m:


Checking through the thread in the Link, Are you going to build the Solar panel yourself ?

George_D:

no, but i did the installation myself with just a little help from my carpenter (nailing the bracket on the rooftop) and of course my brothers who helped with the manual lifting. 

when you start using solar power, you won't want to hear the nasty noise of generators again! 

George_D:

inspired,,
many people do have a poor perception of solar power due to experiences similar to what you just described. however, solar is by far one of the best forms of energy provided the right types of materials are used and the installation is done properly.

those street lights your talking about were installed by a contractor who probably knows next to nothing about solar but ended up getting the contract because he knows someone in govt.

inverters that you menioned above form part of a larger solar power system. see what i mean by clicking on the solar link above. scroll down to the other pictures and you'll understand better.

Yeah I know Its One of the best Forms and its also Free as well, Just like FTA.

My Concern is Can it Power High Voltage Equipments and How long can the Supply last for ?

Does the Intensity of the Sun affect the Power Stored ?

Also are Most of the Components readily Available Like locally ?

agabaI23:

@George,

Do you use solar for power? What is your experience?

inspired_m:

Yeah I know Its One of the best Forms and its also Free as well, Just like FTA.

My Concern is Can it Power High Voltage Equipments and How long can the Supply last for ?

Does the Intensity of the Sun affect the Power Stored ?

Also are Most of the Components readily Available Like locally ?

George_D:

inspired,
one thing you have to bear in mind with solar is that when it comes to power usage, the emphasis is always tending towards conservation and energy efficiency. rather than trying to build a system that will carry all your loads as they are, you first look at how to reduce or totally eliminate some of the unnecessary loads you may be running at home which more or less contribute to your high energy bills.
however, yes you can build a solar power system that can power high voltage equipments like air conditioners, water pumps, washing machines, etc. it will interst you to know that entire towns are being power purely on solar as we speak!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20007333-54.html

how long does it last for? the answer to that is simple: as long as you want it to last! now, let me explain. with a solar system-unlike a regular generator you can control how long your power lasts by building your battery bank according to the duration you want. there is a very accurate means of determining this i assure you, so it's not trial and error!

does the intensity of the sun affect the amount of power stored? no. the amount of stored energy depends solely on the size of your battery bank.

are most of the components readily available locally? yes-to a reasonable extent. however you must understand that as with automobiles and every other manufactured technology, nothing is produced here so even the dealers have to source these from abroad. but there are good places in naija where you can buy what you require and also good professionals who can help with getting what you need.

EDITED

inspired_m:


Thanks for the Explanation.

God Bless.

George_D:

your welcome!

btw, you should really give solar a thought. as i can see you're smart with rides so you should be smart with power generation too. personally i'm quite amazed at how so many people won't think twice about spending over 5million naira on a car which depreciates over time, takes money from their pocket in terms of maintenance costs and doesn't add value to their assets but the same people will lament on the high cost of alternative energy (e.g solar) which gives them maintenance-free power for over 25yrs and also gives them so many other conveniences.

for the cost of a used 2007 toyota highlander ltd, you can set up a 5kw solar power system in your home which will give you trouble-free power for 3 times the number of yrs that suv is supposed to last! think about it.

inspired_m:



Brilliant Presentation,

What is the average going cost of setting up a 5Kw Solar power system ?

George_D:

for a 5kw system, you will need a minimum 5ka inverter (or 6kva) and you will also need a minimum of 16pcs 200ah (or 260ah) deep cycle gel batteries. you will also need at least 25 pcs of 200w solar panels for charging and supply of power to the house during the day (if you live in an area where public power is not too frequent. lastly you will need two charge controllers and a 60amps change over switch.

here is the breakdown:

5kva inverter: 230,000
deep cycle gel batteries (16 pcs): 55,000*16 = 880,000
sharp solar modules (750/watt): 5000*750= 3,750,000
charge controller (2 pcs): 60,000*2 = 120,000
change-over switch (60amps) : 12,000
total cost: 4,992,000

as you can see, the cost of the solar modules makes up more than two thirds of the total cost of the system but there is a way around this. if you live in an area where public power is fairly regular (i.e at least 4 hours every two days) then you may not need that many solar modules. however if you happen to live in an area where your constantly in blackout, then investing in solar modules is a wiser choice. also, for your 5kw system even though we're talking of at least 25pcs of sharp 200w solar modules however, the good news is that you don't have to buy all of them at once. depending on your budget, you can always start with just a back-up system comprising only the inverter and batteries and later you can start buying solar modules and adding  them on an instalmental basis of 2, 4, 6, 8 etc as you go along. that is how i started and i think it has had minimal impact on my pocket.

George_D:

jujukemist,
what can man do? i was just trying to explain how i started out on the road to alternative energy.

sometimes, you just get a kick out being the only one who's house is lighted up by solar while all your neighbours keep suffocating under the noise and smoke of fuel guzzling generators!

jujukemist:

It goes to show how progressive minded you are. I disagree with those who say its because you have money-afterall the money was buying the fuel.
You have earned the medal of commander of the Green revolution(COGR) Congrats

George_D:

argggghh! next i'll be turning my sights on a green car like toyota prius - that is after settling madam's ride. talk of running a car on solar. that will be the day!

jot01:

@ Auto Inspire.
I need a space Bus for not more than 800k .


I visited your website to try and play around but its not working for me.

Pls keep in touch.


Cheers