Whoopie: ^^Pheww! Just done reading the pages. Quite enlightening I must say. I admire your tenacity. And you're so damn passionate, that's a good one. I once used an inverter, which later got damaged by the sharp practice of a rogue dealer whom I met on Nairaland. Since then I've looked out for a genuine and knowledgeable dealer to provide solution to my energy needs. My question is this, the batteries I was sold then was rated 12v * 200AH. Those batteries barely lasted 18months working at full capacity. I'm stuck at your claim of your batteries going at full capacity even for 5yrs! Is that really possible? Once again, kudos. I hope, not only to get on your sales train, but also buy from you eventually. But I'd really love to see one that is installed and working. Cheers!

Hi

Thanks for your message. The batteries you used ran down so quickly because you didn't have enough. Typically, they should be installed in a string of 4, so each battery does not run down past 50% capacity very often. That's what preserves the battery.

Another point to note is that just because 2 batteries are rated the same 12V 200AH does not mean they will last as long. A battery has a lifespan of the number of charge cycles it can hold. Typically, you get some that (when you read the smallprint) only can take 500 cycles, whilst the other is 1,000 cycles. In effect, the latter battery is twice as good as the former. Whilst I have no proof of this, my suspicion is that many of the batteries being sold in Nigeria today are of the lesser variety.

Regards

Uvie

automine: @Bacholder Hey bro, I absolutely share your passion and believe on this thread. However, as much as I would want to agree with u I want u to know that solar technology is still not full blown and so is most renewable technology. I'm sure you know this technology is for the future as it is yet to take over from fossil fuelled energy even worldwide the technology is still being used as secondary source. One challenge with most renewable is their size and as the renewable energy technology is evolving, engineers are looking at means of miniaturizing it to make it widely acceptable. And I think your analysis is done from a narrow perspective as there is a lot of other factors to consider. I want to believe u were once here before u moved to the UK and u know what our dwellings look like. A very large portion of the population live below the poverty line, a good number of whom live in the popular "face-me-i-face-u apartment most of which are clustered together. Tell me how a solar panel will work in this kind of situation. If need to get a solar panel of say 2KVA rating to power ur dwelling, I'm sure u know what size of panel were talking about here, it'll take a lot more space than even the owner cope with. Initial cost is another issue. Like already pointed out it will be easier for an average poor Nigerian to get like 20K to buy a gen set 4 which he needs a very small space to keep and subsequent maintenance cost is within reach than a solar panel which a space large enough that he can't afford and whose initial cost is so high.
However, I share ur believe solar technology is it; it is the future, it is clean, no pollution of any sorts but at the moment based on these factors and several others it is expensive. Perhaps there may be sometin I'm missing pls I am eager to hear it but I think our best shot in Nigeria today is Nat. gas

Thanks for your comments. I'd like to correct you on one key point. Solar is not a secondary source of energy. It is now widely used as a primary energy source in many countries such as the USA. You will note the rise of Solar City as an example of how Solar Energy is transforming the USA energy landscape. The efficiency of Solar Energy is directly related to the amount of sunshine received. The Nigerian climate is perfectly suited to widespread solar adoption.

Your point about apartment blocks is well made. Our solution is rather simple. We are selling our Products directly to the landlords, which effectively allows them to become a mini power provider by then charging their tenants for electricity provision. This is a fantastic investment for them generating great additional profits, whilst saving the tenants considerable cost compared to using generators.

To your point about Gas. All developed countries adopt a mix of energy sources to provide total energy requirements. For instance, the UK produces 9% of its total energy from various forms of renewable energy. Recent government estimates show that by 2020, 22,000MW of power will be provided by Solar Energy. To put into some context, Nigeria, with a population 3 times the size of the UK, has a TOTAL Energy output of 5,000MW. And remember, there is little sunlight in this country.

In short, the solution to Nigeria's energy problems lies in a mix of energy sources, from Fossil fuel based to renewable. Given the extreme suitability of the Nigerian climate to Solar Energy, a larger proportion of Nigeria's energy mix will be provided by Solar.

I hope that helps in some way.

Regards

Uvie

oyb:

too many half truths - 5 years to replace deep cycle batteries that are used regularly, and are not installed in airconditioning that will extend their life?

then you throw in the free energy saver bulbs - do you think nigerians are hick who dont already have these in their houses - we even know the grades, sylvania (150) akt (350) philips (600) for your 20 watt energy saver compact flourescent

and how much can one do with 2kva? ironing, borehole pump, fridge, freezer? please. anyway.

Just seen this post. I'll address in turn

1. A well sized battery array of at least 12V 200AH lasts 5 years - fact. Incorrect sizing of the batteries leads to reduced lifecycle. All our systems are priced to include optimal battery sizing.

2. The majority of Nigerian households use lightbulbs between 60-100 Watts. FACT. It is for this reason that Goodluck Jonathan recently came out and encouraged Nigerians to purchase these in their droves. They average 12W each representing a significant energy saving per family. Again, this information is in the public domain. Feel free to google and verify. We provide these for free to help families reduce their carbon footprint and free up capacity to be able run more equipment if they so wish.

3. Inverters can be scaled up to handle peak loads as you know. Our standard packages will include a free upgrade to a higher capacity inverter. For example, a 2kW system will come with a 3.75 KVA inverter thrown in for free.

It seems to me that there is a lot of confusion on this thread about the difference between Energy Usage and Energy Load - these are two entirely different things, and both must be taken into account when designing a solar system for each customer. That's how you ensure 24 hours electricity - it's not a simple case of purchasing a bespoke product. Each customer must have a tailored solution. This is exactly what my engineers are trained to do.

There is no limit to the size inverter capacity you have, as I'm sure you are aware that even if you lived in a castle and required a 20 KVA Inverter, the most efficient system design is to "Stack" the inverters - that is, to use 4 * 5 KVA inverters. This is an excellent solution as it means that if for whatever reason one of them breaks down, the whole system does not stop working, at it's easily replaced.

Please visit our website if you want further information. solyntadotcomdotng.

Regards

Uvie

emiye:


Thanks for this info, the op failed to answer my question on the first page, that you have done.

Apologies. Your question slipped through the net as I had so many to deal with. Please visit our website, and all your questions will be answered. "Solnytadotcomdotng"

Please let me know if you have any more questions - again, apologies for the delayed response.

Regards

Uvie

Afolabs101:

I'm in the same boat but with a 1kva inverter.

The Op is not being completely truthful. No house with incendiary devices such as kettles and boilers and other equipment such as deep freezers, ovens, microwaves, AC's etc can go completely energy independent. You would not have enough space for all the solar panels. These panels take up a lot of space, so if you need a lot of electricity, you better live on a farm.

Majority of the middle class live in rented homes in the urban areas, try telling your average landlord that you're gonna be putting solar panels on his roof

Solar is good for back up but is not yet at the level where it can be used exclusively. And I don't like you're condescending tone as if Nigerians are not smart enough to embrace solar. When it becomes cheaper and more effective we will. For example, most street lights on Lagos streets and in Lagos estates use solar powered lights, because it makes sense.

If my tone has come across as overly aggressive, then I apologise for that. But please understand that I find accusations of dishonesty difficult to take, because they are simply not true. It goes against all that I am and stand for. Remember something, I didn't grow up in Nigeria, so I'm not used to having to deal with such a torrent of negativity and scepticism, even though I fully understand why that is. In the UK, businesses by and large operate honestly and with integrity. If you get poor products or service, there are many avenues of recourse, not least the power of Social Media to potentially destroy a business. This is evidently not the case in Nigeria - which gives us a tremendous opportunity to gain great market share simply by adhering strictly to commonly followed business practices here in the UK and the USA.

Oh, and on your landlord point, you are wrong. They are proving to be one of the most interested buyers because they can purchase the systems and then charge their tenants for the provision of 24 hours electricity, obviously at a profit.

Afolabs101:

I'm in the same boat but with a 1kva inverter.

The Op is not being completely truthful. No house with incendiary devices such as kettles and boilers and other equipment such as deep freezers, ovens, microwaves, AC's etc can go completely energy independent. You would not have enough space for all the solar panels. These panels take up a lot of space, so if you need a lot of electricity, you better live on a farm.

Majority of the middle class live in rented homes in the urban areas, try telling your average landlord that you're gonna be putting solar panels on his roof

Solar is good for back up but is not yet at the level where it can be used exclusively. And I don't like you're condescending tone as if Nigerians are not smart enough to embrace solar. When it becomes cheaper and more effective we will. For example, most street lights on Lagos streets and in Lagos estates use solar powered lights, because it makes sense.

It is advisable, if you are going to accuse a person of being dishonest, to at least be armed with something even remotely approaching fact. Anybody on this thread with even the remotest knowledge of energy will instantly realise that your knowledge of it is approaching zero. It is akin to a person who proclaims to be a Chess champion opening up by moving his pawn 4 squares diagonally. No further discussion on the subject is necessary.

It might perhaps do you some good to research the energy usage rates per household, worldwide, and then work backwards to figure out how much roof space is required. Because if you did, the utter folly of statement would instantly reveal itself. In fact, limit your research to the average energy consumption of Canadian and USA homes, significantly the highest worldwide. Then work out how many panels are required to generate that level of energy. Hint, you'd do well to also research peak energy hours in both countries compared to Nigeria. Do this, and I promise you would have actually learned something.

My condescending tone comes when people such as yourself liberally use phrases such as "the OP is being dishonest", not "I think the OP is wrong". And yes, your statement displays a total ignorance on your part of Solar Power. You are simply just plain wrong. Full stop.

It's amazing the massive resistance to change there is - and by the way, so you are clear, I fully anticipated this level of hostility and resistance. It is largely for this reason that our initial launch strategy is to focus almost exclusively on the Commercial sector, who are a much easier sell. Guess what, when you frequent your local Supermarket, Barber, Restaurant, Bar etc, and notice that they are all powered by Solar Energy, your scepticism will disappear. The reference point for the efficacy of Solar Energy will no longer be the much fabled "Street Lights that don't work", but will instead be real and local businesses using Solar to power their establishments. As provided and installed by a company that genuinely wants to provide the best service and product possible, for the greater good, as opposed to the proliferation of rogue traders who roam the country, pretending to be experts and simply stealing people's money.

As I've been advised very well by my key adviser on the ground, "Nigerians only believe in what they can see and touch". Our strategy has been designed to account for this

Regards

Uvie

NLG_woodey:


Wheeeewww...all these grammar just to sell one solar panel.
Ol' boy you go talk tire for naija.


You sure do need your temper checked.
Send across your email address and I will send to you a list of solar system marketers in Abuja.
One of them used to work for the WOrld Bank and has an office in Maitama close to Transcorp Hilton.
He will educate you more and possibly guide you as you venture into Nigeria with your unique
dream project.

By the way, I like your very professional looking website.

Once more, Good luck. We need more Dangotes Uvies. Kudos


.

Thank you. It means a lot. It's been a long day, and I may have allowed my temper to fray somewhat.

Please reach me at uvie.ugono@solynta.com.ng

It's much appreciated.

mrjingles: Very interesting thread, one of the best in recent times. First off I am no expert on kilowatt and panels and all the technical stuff but I do understand finance. I think all the guyz asking for "proof" of the OPs numbers are really trying to prove academic points, it reminds of the age old battle between academics and investors, academics will say "you cant beat the markets, the research proves it" the successful traders don't respond with numbers they only smile and say "that's why you will remain academics"

I do not really expect any serious business man to reveal how he manages to reduce costs significantly to gain an edge on the competition so asking him to produce proof is a non starter. If the claims that Barclays bank is backing this project is true then my brothers the questions you are posing here are child's play compared to what this guy must have faced because those banks along with their co-investors would have torn the business plan apart and ALL technical and financial details MUST add up or else he would be laughed out of the room, if you guys who have NOTHING at stake are asking this much imagine what people who have their behinds on the line would have asked.

If you guys want to have all the details just call him up and propose a LARGE investment and you will get the full business plan with all the technical and financial details to last you a month of sundays (of course you will sign an ND agreement)

To the op I say CARRY ON, no idea deserves to succeed except it is at first laughed at. wish you all the best, to the naysayers I say only time will tell so make una siddon look.

Thank you. You are absolutely spot on in pretty much everything you have said. I have managed to get backing of not just one but two banks (the second being Ecobank) - I won't bore you with the details of how and why this structure was proposed, but suffice to say that in order to get Export Credit Agency guarantees from the UK ECA, this was the most optimal structure.

I have literally spent all day battling back and forth with guys trying to drill down on, frankly, irrelevant numbers. As you rightly say, there is a world of difference between an academic and an investor. The latter is only interested in the efficacy of your business plan, strategy, management team, market size, distribution channel, marketing strategy etc. Basically, they only care whether or not you can make money. All the rest, they really are not interested.

Regards

Uvie

mrjingles:

My brother lets be realistic which average banker will ask about discount rate, efficiency ratios and all the other things that have been thrown around? The question they will ask is simple DOES IT WORK? I'm not the man selling the product, he's the only one who can answer that but to say they wil ask the same questions you are asking isn't true for a very large segment of customers. The major obstacle is the general skepticism about solar power.

You have summed up this entire thread better than I could have. Spot on in every way.

In answer to the question of does it work, let me assure you that not only does it work, but it will completely transform the Nigerian economy within 10 years. It is my destiny to be the man who delivered energy freedom to our great country.

Many will scoff no doubt - this is to be expected. Afterall, was Marconi not very nearly committed to a mental asylum for suggesting that a magical thing called radio waves existed.

If I'd said to you 15 years ago that today, nearly all nigerians would have access to a phone, what would you have said?

I have no doubt that people will refer to these pages in 5 years and say, "I remember when he first gave notice of his plans, and had scorn poured over them". The scorn I receive gives me the added fuel needed to achieve my objectives. When I'm tired after working 18 hours straight building up what i believe will become one of the most successful companies in Nigeria, I will read through many of the comments on here and use it as a boost to put in the extra hour or two before I sleep. Most importantly, it gives me the immense motivation to prove that the products I will sell are of the very highest quality, and it is indeed possible for people of nigerian extraction to exhibit business morals, vision and execution of the very highest world class standards.

Regards

Uvie

GeneralJ:

Sorry to say but you are kind of stupid ohh, so all the houses in lekki VGC GRA V.I Ikoyi, Abuja and all the other states equals less than 10% of Nigerians, the rich/middle clas of Nigeria is actually at about 30 -40% believe it or not

Sir, I applaud you. You are of course entirely spot. on. Renaissance Capital's recent comprehensive study puts the number of Nigeria's middle class at 23%. See attached report. It makes for very interesting reading. They are very bullish on the nigerian economy, and I must say, I am too. It's why after 25 years in the wilderness, I'm returning to contribute my quota to our great country.

AjanleKoko:

Okay.
The government in Lagos had at one time installed solar lighting for the streets and major highways all over Lagos, between 2007 and 2008. I even know the company who was working on this, Stormberg Engineering.
The lighting have all failed, and many of them are now being replaced by regular street lighting, powered by generators. Care to explain why this has happened? After all, it is 'basic technology used all over the world'.

Also, someone has explained to you the cost sensitivity of most Nigerian households. I think it would require some level of R and D to produce solar installations that would be efficient, durable, as well as pocket friendly. For example, Hyundai and Haier have been marketing 10kva petrol generators that are selling for under N120,000 in Nigeria. Don't you think some R and D on the part of the Chinese was required to come up with these products, considering that most of the Japanese alternatives do not have a rated output of up to 6kva, and costs three times as much as the Chinese products?

Maybe the challenge is with my use of the phrase 'R and D'. I'm a product person, and to me, R and D is needed to introduce any product into any market. You won't bring solar panels into Nigeria from Australia and expect them to be an instant success. Though I suspect you already know this, and are using this thread to drum up interest in your product

Hi

Firstly of all, my apologies for the delay in responding to your post - I literally have only just seen this post, as I was swamped with lots of posts, not to talk of a tonne of work to do in order to launch the company at the start of May.

I'd like to address your points in turn if I may - please bear with me.

1. To my mind, the single biggest problem currently afflicting the nigerian business community is the utter disregard for quality workmanship, or procurement of the correct equipment. I cannot vouch ( obviously) for the specific reasons as to why the Solar Lighting installed did not work, but I would say with near 100% certainty, that whatever the problem was has nothing to do with the efficacy of Solar energy. Corruption and malfeasance would no doubt have played a role, this is all too depressingly familiar in Nigeria. How can I be certain of this? For 1 major reason.

All manufacturers of a new product offer comprehensive warranties as standard. It is impossible that these lights were, if actually purchased as new, were not covered by a warranty of, at a minimum, 1 year. Therefore, if, as you say, they stopped working within a few months of installation, why were they not immediately replaced with new ones, as would automatically be the case with a product covered by warranty. Why would the purchaser of the product from the (presumably, Chinese) manufacturer not have gone back screaming blue murder at his suppliers for supplying him with defective goods? No, logic and common sense tells me that they failed to work not because the goods were purchased new and had fault, but because the suppliers either procured defective products in order to make Super Profits, or else failed to install them properly. Given they are an Engineering firm, I doubt the latter. So the products must have been defective. The distinct lack of replacements as would automatically be ones right, leaves a strong suspicion in my mind that the installers were complicit.

I have seen horrendous examples of precisely this practice in my home state, Delta. Solar Installation costing over $500,000 literally not working from day 1. Everyone bemoaning the shoddy quality of goods. However, one look at the so called installation by supposed experts very quickly revealed that they did not have the first clue what they were doing. Panels almost entirely covered in shade, facing the wrong way (north) and at a 45 degree tilt (should be closer to 10 degrees given Nigeria's proximity to the equator).

2. I'm well aware of the cost sensitivity of Nigerian households. Believe it or not, the average UK household is equally as cost sensitive. In fact, I'd argue that they are more cost sensitive as they have less disposable income. Everything here runs on credit - prior to the credit crunch in 2008, it was very cheap and plentiful (3% borrowing rates etc). Without credit, the UK economy would collapse almost immediately. It is only through the provision of credit facilities that people are able to afford the products and services they do.

The very first thing I did before seeking to launch the company was to negotiate a significant line of credit from a major Nigerian bank, supported by Barclays Bank in the UK. This will enable us to directly offer Consumer Financing to all our customers, who are required to put down a 20% deposit, followed by 24 monthly payments. The monthly payments are no higher than what they currently spend on diesel, except that after 2 years, payments stop. Forever. This will make our products affordable for a far larger number of customers.

You will also appreciate that a business cannot expect to sell to every single person straight away. It must segment its market and execute its sales and marketing strategy accordingly. I have segmented our market into the following:

Commercial Market - easiest market to sell into, for obvious reasons
Residential Market - top quartile - this consists for the rich, affluent and middle classes. They are either able to buy in cash, or will certainly easily qualify for our finance product
2nd quartile - the lower middle and working classes, with a lesser household income. This segment won't be able to afford our standard packages, so we have devised bespoke starter packages enabling them to build up their solar capacity over time, until they reach full energy independence. Our financing package also helps in that regard.

I'd make a final point about the Chinese manufacturers. I have SIGNIFICANT contacts within the this market (my best friend lives and run a business out there, acting as a go between for UK companies looking to develop new products, but without the contact lists on the ground). So I can tell you with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY, that the quality of goods they ship to Nigeria will not pass inspection here in the UK. They'd be sent back at the port. This is not because the Chinese dislike us and want to dump crap products on us. No, it's specifically because Nigerian businesses that order from them REQUEST that the cheapest materials are used so as to save money and maximise profits. This is a commonly known fact among the Chinese manufacturing economy. Again, the very simple concept of manufacturers warranty comes into play. If you are not happy with the quality of the goods sent by your manufacturer, you immediately claim against the warranty. This costs the factory money, and will likely bankrupt them (competition amongst factories our there is extremely fierce), so there is no way they would knowingly supply sub-standard goods without the complicity of the importer.

This I know for an absolute fact, both through my friend, but also with my personal dealings with them.

Finally, for your point about R&. I totally disagree with this point. The products in question have been extensively tested in a variety of environments, and indeed, are successfully deployed in many countries with very similar if not identical climates as Nigeria. There is absolutely no additional testing required to install a simple monocrystalline solar panel in Nigeria.

This statement is akin to saying that, even though a car is put through the most rigorous testing in some of the world's most rugged terrains, it must still first be tested on Nigerian roads before being sold there. I'm sure you'll agree with me that this is simply not required.

Regards

Uvie

NLG_woodey:


[b]Obviously, you are just a salesman. I can give you links to various websites such as Multi-Level Marketing firms that use graphs and data to project how much profit therein the business. Anyone can post anything online, which is why citing websites in projects are avoided and/or frowned at in researches.

Like a call center operator, you keep reading off your script without in depth knowledge of the technology you are marketing. Expert or no expert, I am engaging you here with a common sense. It is very expensive to instal a solar system that can power a whole house. If you have pictures of solar projects that you did, simply present it with the attendant cost analysis instead of embellishing plagiarized data.

You remind me of graduate students and their thesis with no real life experience. They just cram and quote numbers based
on other people's studies. Someone threw a challenge here---run a sample solar system in a house of your choice and
come back one year with the result.

I can bet that you don't have solar system in your house. Do you? If yes, show us pictures. If No, why not? Let me tell you your story. A solar production company invited you to a conference in a fancy hotel. They did their presentation or so-called training. They ran numbers by you and told you that they are listed on NYSE. Also, they had the financial backing of Banks X,Y,Z. Wow! What a nice opportunity...Nigerians here you come. LOL.

One thing I respect about Nigerians is that they are highly resourceful. You throw out any abracadabra like you just did, they will come back slinging. Got my drift?

I don't want to rain on your parade. You still need more marketing training with your parent company to really pull this off. People will ask questions. Good luck[/b]

You have completely insulted me with your post, and the funny thing is, you don't actually know the first thing about me. More importantly, nor do you know the first thing about solar energy, it's applications, its cost, nothing.

You tell me that the cost of solar installation for a house is very expensive, without knowing even the first thing about what makes up that expense. If you engaged your brain before you began insulting me, you'd realise that you are making reference to installation costs in the West. If you'd even bothered to read one of my earlier posts on here, you'd have seen where i painstakingly describe what makes up the total cost of a solar installation.

So for a brief recap, here it is. Less than 50% of the cost of solar is actually the cost of hardware. More of the cost relates to what are called "Soft Costs" - Sales, Marketing, Labour, permits etc. Now, stay with me here - if the costs of Marketing, Sales, Labour and Permits in Nigeria are fully one tenth (10%) of what they are in the West, what does that do to the cost of a unit.

Now, for a brief business 101 class. I have 2 choices.

1. I can choose to maintain a very high selling price, commensurate with the price charged in, say the UK, and seek to make super profits on each sale (with the result of generating lower sales volumes - there's something called Price Elasticity of Demand - go look it up) or

2. I can choose to pass on the majority of those cost savings to my customers, making the product more affordable for them and thereby significantly increasing sales volumes. And whilst still maintaining a very healthy profit margin per sale.

Now, Mr Steve Jobs, please tell me - when entering a market with little to no competition, an enormous target market, and an enormous distribution channel, with the stated aim to be the dominant player in the market in short order, which business strategy would you advise I adopt?

Answers on a postcard please.

On second thoughts, please don't answer the question. I really am not interested in your response. The moment you turned a healthy debate into a personal insult, is the moment I disengaged. Respect and decency are qualities I live by.

I am a highly qualified, highly successful former finance and banking executive, who is also founder and CEO of one of the fastest growing recruitment websites in the UK and the US, and frankly, I don't have to accept personal insults from a person I don't know. My reputation and integrity are of paramount importance to me.

If you want proof of what i'm saying, please visit the following sites:

www.urecruitme.co.uk
www.urecruitme.com

On the .com site, scroll to the bottom of the Home Page, and there you will see a Video link to an interview with me on NBC news in Atlanta Georgia, discussing my business when I first launched there.

Actions speak louder than words - I'm a man of action, and not a keyboard warrior. You will see the product of my actions very soon.

Feel free to check out my LinkedIn page for further validation.

uk.linkedin.com/in/uvieugono/

Oh, and by the way, we have just launched our website. Feel free to visit it, and then tell me whether you think I'm a Marketer, or a businessman of substance, with a very credible plan to solving Nigeria's energy Crisis. You will hear more of Solynta Energy, of that I promise you.

www.solynta.com.ng

Regards

Uvie

NLG_woodey:


[b]Obviously, you are just a salesman. I can give you links to various websites such as Multi-Level Marketing firms that use graphs and data to project how much profit therein the business. Anyone can post anything online, which is why citing websites in projects are avoided and/or frowned at in researches.

Like a call center operator, you keep reading off your script without in depth knowledge of the technology you are marketing. Expert or no expert, I am engaging you here with a common sense. It is very expensive to instal a solar system that can power a whole house. If you have pictures of solar projects that you did, simply present it with the attendant cost analysis instead of embellishing plagiarized data.

You remind me of graduate students and their thesis with no real life experience. They just cram and quote numbers based
on other people's studies. Someone threw a challenge here---run a sample solar system in a house of your choice and
come back one year with the result.

I can bet that you don't have solar system in your house. Do you? If yes, show us pictures. If No, why not? Let me tell you your story. A solar production company invited you to a conference in a fancy hotel. They did their presentation or so-called training. They ran numbers by you and told you that they are listed on NYSE. Also, they had the financial backing of Banks X,Y,Z. Wow! What a nice opportunity...Nigerians here you come. LOL.

One thing I respect about Nigerians is that they are highly resourceful. You throw out any abracadabra like you just did, they will come back slinging. Got my drift?

I don't want to rain on your parade. You still need more marketing training with your parent company to really pull this off. People will ask questions. Good luck[/b]

You can believe that the earth is flat all you want. It doesn't make it true.

You are going to look very foolish in the coming months.

ciphoenix:

couldn't have said it better

We are all in agreement on that front. That is why we have arranged a Consumer Financing package with a major bank, that allows us to offer credit terms to buyers, who are able to spread the cost of payment over 24 months.

Regards

Uvie

tbaba1234:

Thank you,

I still disagree..

1. An average daily generation of 6.25kwh is impossible... That gives you a capacity factor of 27%.... That is totally impossible... Except you have invented the best solar panel known to man...

i. at 6.25kwh, you arrive at 2281kwh annually

ii. Divide by 8760

iii. you get 27%... Not reasonable..

2. You can not make any calculations regarding future costs without putting into consideration the discount factor... Money has a time value.


It is still inaccurate

But i hope you get where i am coming from... All the best in your exam... tell your marketers to come very well prepared if they want to sell to me lol

God bless you and all the best

Respect to you my friend. Thanks for the best wishes. I'm pretty sure if ever we met, we'd become good friends. You have a very powerful personality like I do.

Regards

Uvie

manny4life:

God bless your hustle brother, I wish you and your company success, but if you're gonna sell to someone like me, your marketers need to come correct.

Appreciate the sentiment. But like seriously, we really are splitting hairs. It really is quite simple - if you are happy to continue to spend what will soon be N105 per kWh of electricity through use of your diesel generator, rather than, at worst, 25% of that by Solar, then by all means continue to do so. It's a free country.

Fortunately, the hospitals we are about to supply with full Solar Systems that will save them an average of £400,000 a year in diesel costs (yes, that's right, N96m) think otherwise. As do the growing number of businesses and households from whom we are now taking pre orders from.

Talk is cheap, so I'd rather get on with trying to deliver. Our results will speak for themselves.

I've really enjoyed our debate.

manny4life:

Like seriously, any given person who wants to prove their point would have given this calculation in 10mins. This really bothers me because his calculation/assumptions are just disturbing for the most part.

I'm busy trying to launch a potentially multi billion dollar company. Please excuse the fact that I don't have all day to sit on these pages.

tbaba1234: Bros, this is all grammar...

simple mathematics... How can you not factor in capacity factor and discount factor??

Again, make the maths clear.... How did you arrive at 57,000 for 25 years? show us the maths....

Then validate the cost/kwh...

The capacity and discount factor are accounted for because we provide you with an extra panel for free, so your 25 year efficiency is 100% - there is no discount factor.

The numbers are as follows.

Cost of 1kW system - N700,000 (this is what WE WILL charge)
Average daily energy production - 1 * 6.25 = 6.25kWh's a day
Annual energy production - 6.25 * 365 = 2,281.25 kWh's
25 Year's energy production - 2,281.25 * 25 = 57,031.25 (note as I explain below, we provide an additional panel over the period to compensate for the natural loss of efficiency over 25 years)
Cost of replacement Inverters - replaced every 10 years - that's a guarantee - N108,000 (we guarantee to provide replacements to you at little over our cost price - we manufacture them directly ourselves)
Total Cost of the system - 808,000

Total cost per kWh excluding any discount factor - 808000/57031.25 = N14.16 per kWh

I have loosely applied a discount factor of around 5% to reflect cost of capital, and rounded up to N15.5 per kWh (I'm very sorry, I didn't realise I was re-sitting my Chartered Accountancy exams, otherwise I'd have prepared detailed workings for you to mark).

This is how I've arrived at my numbers.

manny4life:



Look bro, regardless of his rationale, whether size or not wasn't my question to him, I got that point of his argument. There were several questions that should have been answered which he did not, the efficiency wasn't the issue, but how much efficient is what he has failed to answered. For a high efficiency panel, like his example of ( 250 watt sized panel given 2Kw, I asked him a simple question, give us examples with calculations.

If you look at the file tbaba1234 put up, at least to some point, the assumptions where understandable. I'm not very good at stating my questions very clearly, but I'm really want to see how he calculated his own numbers. If you gonna sell me something, come correct.

For some inexplicable reason, the moderators have seen fit to ban me from posting on here, so I've had to create a new username specifically to answer your question.

I will give a 1 time, clear and concise explanation and I hope you understand:

1. The efficiency rating of a Solar Panel ONLY determines its size - currently, the maximum efficiency rating in the world is around 17% (in commercial production, not just testing). This SIMPLY means that the panel only converts 17% of the sun's energy it receives into electricity. The 250W panels we use measure 1650 * 900 mm in size. It emits 250W of electricity. PERIOD. The higher the level of efficiency, the SMALLER the panel will be. For example, at 34% efficiency, the panel will measure 825 * 450 mm in size. It will STILL produce 250W of electricity.

Why is this important? Because at the moment, when you are installing very large (100 KW +) commercial installations, you often don't have enough roof space given the number of panels required at their current size. So they are usually fitted on the ground instead. So, the big development in solar technology will be increased panel efficiency, meaning that you would be able to install ALL the panels on the roof, as you would only need half the current number of panels. Please note, this is only relevant to very large commercial installations. There is enough roof space on every home to fit enough panels to generate at least 4 times the energy requirements for the home.

2. The amount of energy produced by a solar panel is DIRECTLY dependent on the amount of Peak sunlight hours it's exposed to each day. The more more sunlight it receives, the more energy it produces. FULL STOP. A 1kW panel array (e.g. 4 * 250W panels) generates 1kWh of electricity for each hour of sunlight it receives. If it receives 6 hours of sunlight a day, it produces 6kWs of electricity a day. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. It is exactly like asking the question - how much energy does a 1000w AC use if you ran it for 1 hour. The answer is self evident - 1000wH's or 1kWh.

Now, to calculate how what size solar system a household needs to generate 24 hours of electricity, you simply ascertain how many units of electricity (kWh's) that household uses each day, then work out the average peak sunlight hours for the location, and work backwards from there. For example, across Nigeria, the mean average amount of Peak sunlight received each day is 6.25 hours (higher in the north, lower in the south). To simplify the calculation, lets just use 5 hours as our base.

A home which requires 8 kWh's of energy every 24 hours would need, to be safe, a 2kW system, which would produce 10kWh's of electricity every day. Fully 25% more than is needed.

As the years go by, the production efficiency of the panels decrease. The panels we use come with a guarantee of 90% efficiency after 10 years, and 80% after 25years. In other words, after 10 years, still using our 5 peak hours example, the panels will be producing 2 * 5 * 0.9 kWh's of energy each day - 9kWh's a day. After 25 years, it will be 8kWh's a day.

This is a cast iron guarantee that we provide. If it falls below those production levels, we give you an additional panel FOR FREE to make up the difference.

I really know no other way to answer your question. That's the best I can do.

As this technology is getting cheaper, how much demand do you think there will be for fully installed system capable of providing for all basic electricity needs?

Financing will be provided by the bank.

Thanks