The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) predicts that in the coming days southern states will experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions in the morning hours with day and night temperature of 31 to 36 and 21 to 25 degrees Celsius.
According to NiMet, “Later in the day, haziness is expected over some inland cities with chances of scattered thunderstorms over places like Oshogbo, Akure, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Lagos, Umuahia, Owerri, Port-Harcourt, Eket and Calabar.
Recently, Lagos has been hotter than usual and enquiries from inverter dealers show that Lagos residents are increasingly demanding for alternative power solutions including smaller generators, rechargeable fans, solar solutions and inverters.
Inverter dealers report rising interest for smaller capacity inverters and alternative power solutions following rising heat waves in the state and poor supply from the Ikeja DisCo and Eko DisCos, two power distribution companies with Lagos as franchise areas.
However, a key challenge is the cost as after examination of customers need, many cannot immediately fulfill the order. The temperature may have become hotter, but the finances have certainly remained cool.
One dealer, Mercury Direct, provides customers with important points to note when making a decision to buy an inverter.
Why you need an inverter
Since power outages are common in Nigeria, a good inverter and battery can be priceless during such events. It can be very frustrating when you are watching your favourite program on TV or trying to sleep in a hot room at night. An inverter and battery could mitigate these challenges and with the added benefit of not polluting the environment with a generator.
Making the right choice
Since there are a hundreds of branded inverters and batteries in the Nigerian market, and using the wrong specification could lead to painful consequences, it is important to make the right choice.
Mercury Direct says there are two main types of inverters available on the market. Modified Sine Wave and Pure Sine Wave. “If you wish to power small household appliances like lights, TVs and fans. Modified Sine Wave inverters are affordable and have high efficiency. They will provide you with power comparable (but not identical) to what you get from the power companies.”
“If you would like to run larger appliances like a fridge, freezer, AC or medical equipment you should buy a Pure Sine Wave inverter. They are ideal for motor startups, make little or no noise and give power quality equivalent to what you get from the power companies, however, Pure Sine Wave inverter can cost twice as much as an equivalent Modified Sine Wave Inverter.”
Size matters
Another important factor to consider is size. “To choose the right inverter size for your needs, calculate the total wattage of all the electrical appliances you would like to run on the inverter. This can be achieved by checking the power rating label found on each appliance and adding up the total wattage.
“You can find out the wattage of your appliances by checking the markings on them or by reading the user manuals. If you wish to keep your total cost down, it is advisable to run only your essential appliances on the inverter,” the company said.
Calculating your consumption, Source: Mercury Direct.
“We recommend that you buy an inverter twice the size of your total energy requirements so that you have extra capacity and do not run the risk of overloading your inverter,” said Mercury Direct.
Figuring out batteries
Batteries serve the purpose of storing up energy from three main sources – Power plants, generator and renewable energy source, for example solar panels. The size and type of battery ensures optimal performance of the inverter system.
Experts say the minimum required size of your battery bank will be determined by the voltage requirements of your inverter. A 12-volt inverter, for example, requires 12 volts and will work if you connect it to a single 12v battery. A 24-volt inverter will require 24 volts, which you can achieve by connecting two 12 volt batteries in series.
The most common inverter battery capacities available in Nigeria are 12v 100AH and 200AH. A new customer can start with a small battery bank and add more batteries later on if your requirements change. However, one expert said it could limit affect performance as the batteries will lose capacity at different times.
Options for customers include Dry Cell Deep Cycle Inverter Batteries and Tubular Wet Cell Deep Cycle batteries. Dry Cell Deep Cycle Inverter batteries are convenient for inverter system use because they require absolutely no maintenance. These types of batteries are perfect for home or-or small office applications where regular battery maintenance is not feasible. Unlike Wet Cell Deep Cycle batteries they can be left sitting around for long periods without use, with no detriment to performance.
Tubular Wet Cell Deep Cycle batteries are equipped with sophisticated designs, which ensure excellent electrical efficiency and increased lifespan. They can often go on working for 10 years or more, however, they can be very expensive to maintain and should not be left sitting around for long periods of time without use. Like the muscles of the body, they need regular use to maintain optimal performance says Mercury Direct.
Wet Cell batteries come with caps which you will have to remove every 3 to 6 months to add distilled water and they generate hydrogen gas while charging which needs to be well ventilated outside.
“A big problem with batteries is in being sure of what you are really buying. You probably just have to trust the vendor, unless you have a deep knowledge of battery technology. The durability of your batteries amy also depend on you, as it is easy to get them damaged. A large dose of overcharge can quickly damage the battery. Dried up battery cells could spell the death of your battery. Being careful with your batteries could save you untimely replacement of batteries,” cautions an expert.
PRICE GUIDE
There are many brands of inverters in the Nigerian market but some of the most popular include Luminous, Sukam, Prag. A company like Arnergy have agreement with OEM to companies build Inverters and battery systems in their brand name.
Some inverters are sold with battery and some, especially smaller capacity inverter are sold without batteries. Some are intelligent systems equipped with artificial intelligence technology.
Below is a price guide of some of these popular brands. This merely serves as a guide and buyers have a responsibility to negotiate better terms.
ISAAC ANYAOGU
