shynahmaticz:


Mr Nitrogen, we do know the value of a BSc. Mathematics, but I guess the Nigeria's situation isn't in anyway helping. I graduated with 2.1 in Mathematics (4.25), I also have a MSc Mathematical Sciences (81%) and yet I sit at home day in day out, waiting for mails or messages from organizations and institutions I've applied to. Knowing one's competency is good, of which I can categorically say I do know I am competent, nevertheless I seek opportunities to show my skills and dexterity, whereas I find none up till now. It can be so frustrating, all we hear is people saying 'you don't know the value of what you have'. What value does it have if the chances stay a mile away from us?

What are you doing besides sitting home and waiting for emails and phone calls? That you have a good degree doesn't mean squat. That you think you are competent doesn't mean much either...

What have you done to ensure your skills are being seen by the people that have the ability to make a difference in your situation?

okay I'm starting to resign myself to being actionless for a while

JohnKester:
@CoolKizzy

You can actually bring down your consumption requirements if you are willing to make changes to your hardwares. For example, LG now has air conditioners that are inverter/solar compliant with an inbuilt mode that reduces the power consumption when running them on solar or inverter, without compromising the efficiency. It is especially important that you consider changing the air conditioners because they will be on constantly as long as you have clients to service. You can also give up your industrial fans and either install ceiling fans or change them to regular standing fans. I do not know how long you have had the dryers, which I consider as guzzlers but I suppose there should be more power efficient ones available in the market today. All these are capital intensive though and you have to decide if you wish to go that way.

Two items there which I consider a must in terms of replacement are the light bulbs. You can change those to LED light fittings which will give you more brightness while consuming far less power.

Consider:

30 bulbs @ 45W each = 1350W dead load because you would always keep them on.
15 bulbs @ 85W = 1275W. Both totalling 2625W

Today, there are flood lights of 15W and above. For indoor use, however, you can replace the 45W bulbs with 12W LED and the 85W bulbs with 18W LED. Calculated below:

30 x 12 = 360
15 x 18 = 270
Total = 630W

Compare to your current bulbs you will shave off 1995W from your consumption and that is not little when it comes to solar setup.

All your appliances would not be running simultaneously. But your dryers which are the heavy duty loads you have would need some good management by trying not to run the heaviest ones simultaneously and if you must, then some other appliances would have to be switched off. This should not be too much of a problem though, if running them in the day time when the sun is high up there, but once the sun is down, the drain on your system would be quite high and therefore rapid.

Suffice to say that you will need a large system, possibly a 96V system. However, if you apply the suggestion above and are willing to replace some of your current hardwares with more energy efficient ones, you will find that your power requirements would actually reduce significantly.

But let's hear what the gurus in the house have to say.

Cheers

In addition to this post(which it top notch BTW), I would say you can consider getting a small generator for the blow dryers et al. Heating and inverters aren't exactly best of friends. So you would power everything that consumes less than 1KW(individually) from your inverter/solar and you can consider a smaller generator for anything with a duty cycle or anything that involves heating.

Onegai:


Is that with the boat ride? The boat ride was N 70k and the villa was about N50k and that was in December.

Maybe it's changed then, the boat ride was a separate item you could choose not to have them pick you up, it was 20K per trip.

I just confirmed, it's no longer per head. It's per room and it's still 60K.

It was Late 2014 I wanted to go there.

Onegai:
Ilashe beach. But hold your money, even the boat ride is expensive. And renting a villa is like N50,000 per night.

if you mean casailashe, it's per head o...not per night...made the mistake of asking. It was also 60K then.

CoolKizzy:
Hello house, I calculated the total watts rating of a the electronics in my salon and I arrived at 14523, but don't think I can be using more than 10000 watts simultaneously else during peak seasons like Xmas, is it possible to go solar with such gigantic energy requirement?

like Bigrovar said you need to give more info on how you got those figures, if you do people might give you tips on how you can reduced the usage.

JohnKester:


Let us assume that after all calculations of your consumption and power requirements you arrive at 100 AH a day. It would not be wise to have a setup that is exactly 100AH capacity. This means that you will always over discharge the batteries, that is 100% DOD. With that, however, the lifespan of your batteries, if originally designed for 2 years, will be far less than 2 years because the deeper you discharge the batteries, the shorter their lifespan. That means that you may be replacing your batteries every 6 months to one year, and if undercharging becomes an additional issue, then the lifespan becomes even shorter. With every replacement you spend money...!

The question now is: would you rather replace your batteries every three to six months or you can expand your system capacity to 200AH, so that the maximum DOD would be in the neighbourhood of 50% which will extend the lifespan of your batteries.

The choice is yours, there are no hard and fast rules about all these. Each individual is always free to set his system according to his means and needs. You can only be advised on how to get optimal performance from your system. The final decision is always yours.

Cheers

what you've described should already be part of deciding on the size of your battery banks, what he said was when you feel you have the correct size, double...that's misleading.

JohnKester:


Double your battery capacity so it gives you 2 times the AH you actually need. That will ensure you do not discharge your batteries beyond 50%. This will extend the lifespan of your batteries.

He gave the best advice otherwise, the frequency of batteries replacement would be high, and that means more money. So bite the bullet and do it once so that some peace of mind can be enjoyed for some years.

Cheers.

I see...so rather than teach people how to properly size their battery banks, he would rather they possibly over size the bank and waste money?

iLoveTheSun:
@obimind:
Obviously 'deep cycle' describes the purpose of the battery: typical applications are UPS (in a stable grid environment where there is always light) or fisher boat (normally the engines powers a generator when on sea), so there are only view failures per year. Normally current of discharge is high. Let's say, it is used for 15 minutes, when a genset kicks in in a UPS application. It shortens the life cycle anyway, but the number of cycles is little in this case. => not suitable for every day charging and discharging!

'Gel' battery describe the built of the battery. Normally gel is put in glass matt in VRLA (closed Valve Regulated Lead Acid) battery. It is for "slow" charging and discharging without producing too much gas. It is more "gentle" to the materials inside the battery.

In general, to boost life cycle you should charge or discharge over a long time period, like 10hours (=c 10) or better 20 hours (=c 20).
I will look for a chart and post it here. The faster you charge/discharge, the shorter the life cycle is.

What I have read here, many people charge during the day and discharge the same evening.

One more factor is the depth of discharge (DOP). A battery that is only discharged to 80% of its capacity has a much longer life than a battery with DOP=50%.

So I have the feeling that people undersize their battery capacity.

My recommendation: when you have the feeling you have the right battery capacity, simply double it, then you will be on the right side.

sunny regards,

double what? in this economy? bros you are wicked o!

davide470's post inspired me to write. Apologies, it will not be very coherent, yes I'm lousy like that

I chose engineering because I was curious and didn't like biology. Computer science was out of it because it wasn't a professional course according to my folks...lol.

I chose electrical engineering over computer engineering because my Dad's friend told him computer and electrical engineers did the same thing(I was a computer whiz),

I wasn't exactly sure what field of electrical engineering I wanted to focus on and started to become disillusioned due to the theoretical nature of the course (I like to do stuff with my hands).

For me the turning point was when we had an assignment to calculate how much electricity Nigeria needs in year 3(or first semester year 4), along the way we learnt electricity wasn't constant because there wasn't enough electricity being generated, (prior to this I had never really thought about it). I started to read up about power and was hooked.

I opted to go to PHCN for my IT and spent it at a transmission station, from then I knew I wasn't interested in any other field of engineering, I chose to serve out my NYSC at a generating station and after that started looking for work in the power sector. All the while I kept in touch with the people I met along the way(I was a power groupie, once you knew a bit about power I was your fan ), my first job paid 29K in 2010 and I got it through someone I did IT(industrial training) with(he wrote me a recommendation letter to his friend). The experience I gained during my IT & NYSC was invaluable, the guy gave me a pencil and asked me to draw a single line diagram of a typical substation (something I could do with my eyes closed). The company I worked for was a contractor to different govt bodies in the power sector and they mostly specialized in transmission projects. I became restless after a while because I got tired of being confined to the office, I did learn about procurement, tendering and also how PHCN worked, I also started to learn about regulation.

I left to go into industry because I wanted the engineering equivalent of street credibility(how will I be a desk engineer after all the suffer in school?...lol). In industry I started out in maintenance of the production line and spent almost 3 years there, I was still keeping tabs on the power sector though, after I felt I had learnt enough about maintenance and gained enough "wrench time" I started to scheme my way back to power.

I worked my way into the power section of my plant and spent 6 months before being booted out because I didn't get along with my boss...Long story...lol. I went back to maintenance and spent 9 miserable months there. I found my way back into the power section when a project came up that required people with experience in power. So for the past few years I've been working on power projects but more from a project management perspective. I also do a bit of operations management but that doesn't really excite me, haven't touched a spanner (at work) in years.

What worked for me?
I was fortunate to discover my specialty early.
I read up on it so I could discuss it with a measure of understanding
I discussed it with people more knowledgeable than I was. (*Networking)
I got as much experience(IT and NYSC) as possible in that field *this part is key (this way, I have a bit more experience than my peers(yep, I add my NYSC to my years of experience).
I was gingered and did a lot of heavy lifting by myself (as an electrical engineer I had a more complete set of spanners than a lot of mechanical engineers, the craftsmen loved me...lol)
I eventually learnt the importance of understanding your bosses goals and actualizing them.


*getting experience is key, I know you will say there are no jobs but that shouldn't stop you. I chose to go to PHCN for my IT and I didn't earn anything(I was given NGN4500 after the whole six months). During my NYSC, I earned NGN9775 from govt and NGN4500 from PHCN making something close to NGN14000, it didn't matter because I had a goal. If getting experience requires you to work for free then do it, at the begining of your career it's important you chase experience not a salary.


*Networking is important, a key part of this is only asking for things people can give you. There are millions of people looking for jobs in Nigeria so chances are even if I have a job opening there are tons of people vying for that job, how do you set yourself apart from all the others? why should I pick you over all the people in my village? or all the people that say they need jobs to feed their families? if you relate well enough with your professional network, when opportunities arise that fit your profile people will call you(provided they trust your abilities). I got my first job through someone I met during my IT at PHCN. We had a prior relationship and he was aware of my capabilities so he was not taking a risk or gamble when he recommended me to his friend(I remember he put "test him in every way" in the letter sef).

As much as possible, focusing on building a network of mentors, people that you can ask questions, people naturally want to help because it makes them feel good(or knowledgeable/important), however if you start to ask for something they feel they can't give(jobs, money etc), they're likely to clam up.

I'm starting to ramble so I'll stop here. Next time I'll try and write a bit more detail on my experience in the power sector.

cedaraustine:



Funny enough, I had always wanted medicine all through childhood as I matured, I ditched it. Found myself in engineering shaa ni.

I agree first degree isn't any indication necessarily to a career path. At least, I know I'd definitely do an MBA. Taken a lot of risks recently but it's been good overall.

I want to wake up on a Monday morning and play golf! Getting there bit by bit.

legit, that's my goal...semi retired in my late 40s

c0ogumo:
=========SOLAR DEPOT NIGERIA==========

New Arrival: American Samlex Evolution Series Inverter/Charger

EVO2024E with 70A Charger
EVO4024E with 110A Charger
http://solardepotng.com/SDN/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/EVO-E-series-230-VAC.pdf

N100K cheaper than MAGNUM

Email: info@solardepotng.com Mobile: 0812 626 1756

www.solardepotng.com

Oga, do you have the board I referenced in this picture? how much is it? https://www.nairaland.com/390522/solar-energy-complement-fta/148#47150942

Evening guys,

I'm wondering if anyone here knows the cost of the 'AC board' for the attached inverter. I've also attached a picture of the board.

I'd like to know the cost and location if possible.

Thanks.

Chinum:
there was an error in the post u qouted. Sorry. We don't want spend up to that amount on tfare.

Yeah I noticed, try wakanow and arik for Gambia.

Chinum:


Thanks a lot paddie. Do you know how much it would cost to Gambia? In as much as we wanna have fun we wanna spend 300k on Tfare. We are just young ladies that are still coming up

You could check arik, they might have flight plus hotel combos. You might also want to check wakanow

Chinum:
Hello guys,
I'm looking for a suggestions on cool places that one can travel to for vacation.
Somewhere not too expensive but outside naija. Possibly a neighbouring country. Some friends and I are looking to vacationing some time soon but we have no idea where to go. I checked online but not much help from thr.
I would appreciate some help. Thanks.
Cc: RoyalRoy Lalasticlala

rolled:
Mauritius
No visa required
Thank me later
Best beaches

Mauritius is a cool place to visit and yes it's visa free but a plane ticket there will set you back more than NGN300k per person,
if you do go there I would recommend SAA it's bound to be cheaper than most other options.

have you considered Gambia? I haven't been there but I hear it's cool.

@lafencer and feelamong
Been here for a minute and some more...lol

Mfunkynation:
pls wat s fcmb,ucap,zenith,diamond n transcorp current price. Thankz

as at 11.43

ucap 2.50
transcorp 1.94
zenith 17.79
diamond 2.29
fcmb 1.78

chiomaabigail:
Good morning mummies in the house. PLEASE THIS WILL BE A LITTLE LENGHTY. I was so angry this morning, so I feel like offloading the anger by speaking out. I have a girl of 13 years. She is good girl but at the same time she can drive me crazy some time. Several times, when she misbehaves, either I scold her or I beat her depending on the gravity of her offence, most times I expect my husband to atleast scold her whenever she misbehaves but he won't, he will just come and softly talk to her thereby making me look wicked . For instance, I have told her several times when she wakes in the morning, put water on the gas, go and take your bath, then go and prepare the children while I prepare their food pack and feed them. That way, we will go to school early. I have told her several times to do this but she keeps messing up. This morning I found out she has not taken her bath, I scolded her and told her to go and take her bath, she entered the bathroom and after wasting time, she came out without taking her bath. I beat her up, when my husband came out he ordered me to stop beating her and gently told her to go and take her bath. That made me look like the wicked one while he is the good one. At the end I ended up preparing the children, prepare their food, feed them, packed their lunch box etc. Mothers will understand how it is preparing the kids in the morning and the pressures involved. I really don't know the ways to handle this issue because I am angry with my husband for making me feel like the wicked one before the girl. Please mature advice please.

it seems to me that you yell or beat her impulsively and your husband is taking an opposite approach possibly because he thinks you are acting irrationally/emotionally.

if you are going to punish her, don't do it immediately wait till a different time and calmly tell her what she did wrong, that way it cannot be said/though you are shouting/beating her because you are angry.

question, when she went into the bathroom but didn't take her bath, did you try to find out the reason before 'beating her up'?

Vickyydera:
Child development and psychology is one of the course I did in the university.
Babies smile in their sleep as a result of what is called Neonatal smiling, as babies mature, their smiles reduces. Neonatal smiling occurs from birth of the child to 1
month of age and it doesn't show any emotional
content,smiles usually happens while the baby is drowsy .

Hi...The act is called neonatal smiling...OP is asking for the cause.

any update on the McK process?

pranil:
Inverter AC's

This post on nairaland explains LG best

https://www.nairaland.com/1832210/why-lgs-gen-cool-inverter

and this video on youtube


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ueIUEojI0

prices use google or visit local shops

http://www.pricecheck.com.ng/offers/1739102/Daikin+FTXV+35AV1+1.5hp+Inverter+Split+Air+Conditioner/

It is quite expensive compared to normal one but offers upto 70 % less energy consumption and there is no kick to the gen/inveter everytime compressor starts but the loading is smooth

I have one of these and they're cool, they don't use the same refrigerant as other LG ACs and they work with a modified duty cycle so it doesn't come on and off like the other ACs.

bigrovar:


That is too much series connection bro. I don't know the capacity of your controller vis a vis the voltage of your battery system. The rule of thumb is that total vmp should be about twice the size of your battery. That is the most efficient configuration. Sending about 330v to your controller is .. overworking it at best I doubt they are many controllers that can handle such. If your battery system is 48v then a 2:2:2 and if it is a 24v system then a 3:3 would be your best arrangement. If you overwhelm your controller with volts.. more than 3 times your battery volts then lots of energy would be lost to heat in the conversation to a lower dc volt.. and u will end up over whelming the cc killing it before it's time. Gurus in the house would add their advise.

Barezzi:
@ Netotse: Whats the Voc of each panel?
Total must not exceed 150Vdc else you'll damage the CC.
You can connect them 3x2.

Apologies, I'll edit my post, they're connected in parallel. Voc is 45.3336

My Ogas,

I have finally installed my panels and they've been up for a couple of weeks, I get somewhere between 4500 and 5000Kwh everyday,
I have 6 X 200W Monochrystalline panels (Vmp-37, Imp-5.35), I connected all of them in series parallel(made a mistake initially) and Max Amps I get is somewhere between 22 and 29 at peak sunlight (this is usually at 11AMish for me). I used 6mm stranded cable between the panels and controller, the distance is about 15m. I used a Xantra 60A MPPT Charge controller.

I have a couple of questions:

Would I get more current if I connect the panels in strings of 2 or 3?
The KW is usually see in the charge controller menu is low, highest ever is maybe 700W, even though current can be as high as 25A, what's the significance of this?
If I want to install a DC circuit breaker between the panels and the charge controller what size should it be?

bode4real:
Just installed

Chairman...was that where you were going when I saw you this morning?

RipVanWink:


PERSONALLY, i wud go with 2 strings of 3 panels each..
on the other hand...if u hv money/thicker cables to link the panels to the CC, u may do 3 strings of 2 panels each...this is more complex, n requires thicker cables....but theoritically its said to be better for an mppt CC.

that not withstanding......i wud still prefer 2strings of 3 panels each..
hope u remebember that the epsolar 60amps maxes out at 1600w for 24v

thanks for this man...

Yes I am aware of the limitations, but I thought it was 1500W.

Asides from cable costs, I assume the thicker cable is more expensive, what would the advantage be to use 2 strings of 3 panels each?
Can you explain why 3 strings of two panels may be better for the CC? no vex say I dey ask you jamb questions.

zeestone99:

Wch advice bro, let's see hw we can help

how to decide on the way to connect the panels to the Charge controller, MPPT, 60A, inverter is 24V.

zeestone99:


Call us for installation at affordable rate, mk sure you size your charge controller very well, stringing ll depend on your inverter voltage. Call 08117398294 or email Info@monzpowersolutions.com

Oga I'm looking for Advice na...help a brother, all this call XXXXX is long thing jo

earthrealm:


you need to state the wattage of each panel.
is ur inverter 48v or 24v?

Oops, sorry for the omission. The inverter is 24V, the panels will be either 200W or 250W,
Going to buy them tomorrow or the day after.

BR

Hi Guys,

I'm planning to add solar panels to my inverter backup this week(Tuesday or Wednesday), I need some advise:

I plan to use the 60A Epsolar charge controller, at the moment it looks like I will get 1200 or 1500Kw,(I will decide tomorrow), but it's 24V panels I will be getting for sure.
I need help in deciding how to string the panels optimally, will 3 strings of 48V be better than 2 strings of 72V?
is any of them better than the other? esp since it's an MPPT charge controller I will be using?

YoungExec:

No but I own a substantial stake in a Solar company.

Roger that...

BTW...If you have more than a passing interest in solar you might want to take a look at this thread https://www.nairaland.com/390522/solar-energy-complement-fta

if your prices are good I'm sure you can get a fair amount of business from there...

Setaje:

cat got your tongue?

mars123:
because you don't understand what was said doesn't mean it's trash.

Oga, I made that post 5 years ago...Lol.

Of which it's even more applicable now, BRF is HMPower, let's see what he will do now.