Everyone in Nigeria already knows the epileptic nature of the public power supply. Whenever public power gets restored in our homes, ‘’UP Nepa” has become a joyful scream for all, with a sad undertone. We have unfortunately all grown accustomed to the roaring sound of generators both at offices and at our homes. Most homes have to run on one generator or another for hours every day to be able to power basic appliances. No one banks on public power any longer- it has proven to be completely unreliable. On top of everything, various government regimes have promised but failed woefully to address the situation. In fact, in 2022, it even got worse than in previous years.
Families are hit a lot as they have to run generators to power their homes. Without adequate power, the quality of life is impacted negatively. A lot of family houses have therefore, resorted to Solar power inverters to generate the basic power they need for their houses. This has helped them cope with the tough situation as it is.
I have put together a few benefits of Solar power inverters versus generators for the average Nigerian family home. It should serve as a suggestion for families to think about as we all go through this recalcitrant Nigeria problem.
Convenient Operation.
Solar power inverters are very convenient to run and maintain. There is no need for a power changeover unit when power is needed. It could be set on auto-function so it continues running when the main utility fails. Once properly setup, it would run for months or years depending on the quality of the storage batteries.
With these solar inverters, there would be no need to pour in any fuels. No need for servicing, no need to call a mechanic to change those annoying ‘’carburetors’’ periodically and no need filters to be swapped after set time either. There is an abundance of sunlight in the country to provide adequate solar power for most days. Except during the peak of rainy seasons, we have a constant supply of sunlight during the daytime. And the sun does not go on strike either. So just set it up, plug in your appropriate power-sized units and relax.
Environmental Safety.
There is no noise pollution with Soler power. There is no noise production. The solar power inverter would store enough energy to power most appliances in the house without causing noise-induced sleeplessness. Compare this with the huge deafening decibels of the even small ‘I-pass- my neighbor’ generator which just churns out a merger 700W of power. Not to mention the sounds from the bigger diesel generators that power more appliances.
Then, the is no waste as well produced with solar power inverter systems. No oil waste to dispose of and no diesel or petrol spillage that pollutes the environment. The immediate surroundings, even for the smallest of petrol-powered generators, are frequently polluted by spilled waste oil or fuels. Vegetation would hardly grow around those areas and it would take years to get the soil back to its normal state again. For family homes that have children- who could get too close to these liquids, this pollution is a major source of concern. Fossil fuels and combustion oils are known carcinogenic agents and must be kept away from children.
Solar inverter panels are usually placed on the rooftop where they are safe. On the roof, they are not easily accessible, which minimizes the probability of accidents due to contact. The battery and inverter section could also be stowed away at one corner of the house. No pollution or irritant to the environment is produced. And there are no unsightly oily-covered greasy kegs by the corner for the storage of fuels for generators.
Cost.
Though the initial cost of setting up a solar power unit for an average family may be high, the long-term cost savings makes it very attractive. Zero maintenance and zero monthly bills would make initial setup cost to be easily recouped in a short time.
Compare this with the monthly bills from the public utility. The so-called estimated billing system makes the situation worse. Here there are no installed power meters, and one has to still pay for power based on a set estimate, power or no power. The solar power setup just creates long-term cost savings and absolute peace of mind from a power generation perspective. The public power becomes like a backup whenever it eventually comes.
I would encourage families to resort to the solar-powered inverter systems to create power for their homes. It would serve as a panacea to the epileptic power issues in the country whilst still saving some costs. It would create a stop-gap when the public power goes out, and reduce the number of times we all have to scream ‘’Up Nepa’. With solar-powered inverters, one may not even know when they cut or bring back the public power. Give it a shot today, if you have not done so already for your home. You would thank me later.
ETIQUETTE