The last few months have been really dreadful with the near closure of PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria) in my estate. It has gotten so bad that we barely have two hours of light everyday. My small Elemax generator was so overworked that is finally gave up in April. We used to switch it on at 7pm and switch it off at 12 midnight. At a time the heat at night was so terrible, my kids would wake up crying and itching from the heat rash. Sometimes I would wake up at 2am and wouldn't be able to sleep. Some of my estate people alleged that PHCN was diverting power to other neighbourhoods that were paying bribes. We hoped the situation would improve but alas it only got worse. So what did I do? I got an inverter.
"An inverter is a power conversion and conservation device. It converts electricity, which essentially comes in form of alternating current (A/Current) into a stable form of current known as direct current (D/Current) so that the D/Current can be stored in batteries for use during power outages. The system works by converting the A/Current which is the normal current supplied by PHCN (or a secondary source i.e. generating sets) into direct current which is a more stable form of electricity that can be preserved in batteries. During outages, the inverter converts the stored current back into A/Current for use in the home, office or business place. " (Culled from Top-M Nigeria)
I had planned to buy one for a while so I called a couple of companies to find out about the cost of their inverters.
Su-Kam inverters are made in India while Xantrex and Outback are American. I decided on the Budtron inverter which is made in Nigeria because of the low cost and also the ability of the manufacturers to provide after-sales service. I wasn't convinced that the other vendors had the technical know how to provide the required support. Installation took about 2 hours while the initial charging took about 8 hours.
Xantrex Inverter/Charger and Auto-Switch
SuKam Inverter
So basically what I do is to run my generator for 3-4 hours between 7pm and 11pm at night if there is no power from PHCN. At 11pm we shut down the generator and the inverter automatically takes over. If at any point in time PHCN restores light, the inverter's in built change over switch changes back to PHCN. So we use two or three fans throughout the night and pretty much swithc eveything else off. During the day it powers the TV, decoder, home theatre and s few low power electronics. The wiring is done such that the inverter does not power the ACs and iron. On a full charge and depending on what is switched on, we have power for the next 20-22 hours. However, if the fridge and/or all the lights are switched on, it lasts only 8 hours. An alternative setup can be to add solar panels to the installation. This means that during the day, if there is no power supply from PHCN, you can still charge the inverter.
With the cost of diesel at N135/litre it it certainly has its advantages. If I were to run my generator without shutting it down and assuming PHCN stopped working altogether it would cost an additional N270,000 to enjoy constant power supply. It is also noiseless and doesn't require starting up, oil, water or plugs. It is almost zero maintenance. The disadvantage is that if you use wet cell batteries, you have to top up the distilled water every 6 months. Even with dry cell batteries, you have to replace the batteries every 3-5 years depending on the level of usage. I suspect mine will need replacement in 3 years because of the poor power supply from PHCN. The initial cost is also quite high when compared with a generator of comparable power rating.
Overall I have enjoyed using it for the last three months and highly recommend getting one. Now my kids don't wake up crying in the middle of the night and my wife is cheerier!
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9 comments:
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You say running a generator fulltime woudl cost you 270k over what period? A year or a month? and what size generator.
Also where did you buy the invertors from. I'm looking for a good alternative to a gen.
I run a 25 KVA generator. The 270k bill would apply If I were to run my generator continuously for a month and in an area with zero power supply from PHCN.
I got a locally made inverter from Top-M. Call Henry Chiejina (Afexcorp) on 08055283706 / 08030401782 / 018941788 or Aderemi Adeniran (Top-M) on 08033356180 / 018784290.
Afexcorp sells Su-Kam inverters which are made in India.
I've been thinking a lot about getting a converter but I still needed clarification and your article provided just that; I didn't even know we made them locally...! Thanks.
Thank you for the comment you left on my blog, God bless you.
31 comments | View original post Charles Akamiokhor wrote
at 9:18am on June 4th, 2008
Nice piece on inverters,kehinde..i have been using one for about 2 yrs now..i just upgraded recently(after having several battery issues) to deep-cycle industrial batteries for mine..they are costly,but way way better than dry or wet cell ones..a 12V deep-cycle battery goes for around N48k..MOTOMA is a solid,reliable brand..like those who have a good understanding of inverters wld attest,its primarily all about the batteries..cos using low-grade types would cause problems within months/a yr..so i advise deep-cycle for inverter needs...one last thing,to ensure longetivity of the hrs one can use the stored power for,owners shoule b mindful of the gadgets/devices they simultaneously use while inverter is dispensing electricity..if u hav 2 batteries,preferably one shldnt put 2 tvs at same time etc..and its important that owners try to avoid the batteries draining out completely before they are recharged(i.e. either via PHCN or generator)
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Feyi Ogungbe (Ireland) wrote
at 12:33pm on June 4th, 2008
Kehinde & Charles, thanks for this info. I've been sort of concerned about wot to do with power supply especially cos of d kids. I'll be in touch for supplier details when we deicde to get back home. God Bless.
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 12:59pm on June 4th, 2008
@ Charles: So you don dey enjoy this thing tay tay. I use deep cycle industrial batteries as well. We switch the lights off when not in use. Energy saving bulbs are a good investment to conserve power.
@ FeyThese days it is not even an option. You may spend more money upfront but because you save fuel costs it is worth it. We end up with light 24 hrs of the day.
I highly recommend it!
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Emeka Nwankwo (Houston, TX) wrote
at 2:38pm on June 4th, 2008
Like i say 'i am my own country'. I provide my security, electricity, water, telecomms, food, roads(sandfilling in the raining seasons) transportation and R & R. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country...lol
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 3:14pm on June 4th, 2008
More like buy your own country.
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Tj Zibrin wrote
at 3:59pm on June 4th, 2008
You guys are excellent sales people....
however, i had difficulty installing one... the guy had too many if & maybe's involved in his sales pitch and frankly speaking the initial cost is pretty steep!
all in all, it is a nice piece!
thanks
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 4:04pm on June 4th, 2008
@ Tj: No be say dem dey give me commission oh! LOL
I just thought I would share my experience. After all the suffering at the hands of NEPA/PHCN it was the wise thing to do.
Yes the initial cost is quite high but the Total Cost of Ownership is much lower than a generator.
If you can cough out the dough, I advise you to get one.
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Funso Akere wrote
at 8:42pm on June 4th, 2008
Kehinde, Chakams...interesting piece on the inverter. I've been using a 1.4KVA Sukam inverter for close to 2 years and it has been a life-saver! Sukam inverters are good value for money and can last 20hrs easily if you do not exceed 50% load.
Yeah...deep cycle batteries are for the job. I currently use Zenith batteries and they're pretty reliable. Gaston and Full River are also very good. You should avoid the likes of Solite, Rocket etc...you'd be lucky if they last 6 months.
For those interested...here's what it should you back by
1.4KVA
Inverter - N60,000
2 batteries (200Amps) - N100,000
Installation - N15,000
Total - N175,000
2.4KVA (can
Inverter - N90,000
4 batteries (200Amps) - N200,000
Installation - N25,000
Total - N315,000
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 9:06am on June 5th, 2008
@ Funsho and Chakams: I use a 5KVA but rarely load it fully. A lot of the time it carries a 1 or 2KVA load (1 fan, decoder, home theatre, LCD TV). At night powers just 3 fans. I wonder if a 2KVA would have been better. Or am I able to get 20-24 hour usage on a 4 hour charge because of the high power rating?
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Oladipo Ogunsulire wrote
at 11:09am on June 5th, 2008
I'm glad to see that I'm in good company I Just got my 1kva Inverter about 4 months ago and between a few hours of using the Generator and the inverter, its like I have 24 hours electricity. Since I'm using an Online Su-Kam Inverter (Sort of like a UPS) the lights don't even blink when I change between the gen/PHCN/inverter. The TV or Computer just keeps going. Sometimes I have to check to see if I'm on PHCN or my Inverter which is pretty cool. I've been wondering though... is it possible to have an onlinve inveter for higher capacity loads??? 2 - 5 Kva???
Also I can never tell how high or low the battery / power level is which would be useful when you come back from work and you cannot tell how much PHCN charge the batteries got during the day.... does anyone have any idea how to determine how low or charged the batteries are?
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Mofoluso Ajayi (London Business School) wrote
at 11:11am on June 5th, 2008
Kshorty, thanks for the info. How much did you get your Budtron inverter (incl. installation)? would also like to have the answer to your question about if it lasts longer if you have a higher rating and don't load it fully, or if the excess load is just a waste. What else could you possibly put on it to use the load better - a fridge perhaps, or is that too much?
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 11:28am on June 5th, 2008
@ Dipo: I almost went for a Su-Kam since the price is comparable. The only reason I didn't is because the vendor didn't seem to have the required support. The Budtron is online and it's 5KVA. It switches between PHCN, generator and inverter seamlessly without the lights going off. Sometimes I'm unaware that PHCN has cut power. The one I've got has a battery indicator which shows 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% battery levels. I guess one way would be to attach a voltage indicator to the batteries but that would be a bit clunky.
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 11:36am on June 5th, 2008
@ Foluso: Mine can carry my fridge although we often switch the fridge off to get more usage hours. It all depends on how many hours you get from PHCN. If you get only two hours a day from PHCN like I do, you may have to charge with your gen. However, if you get like 16 hours from PHCN a day, you can use the full load and always have your fridge on. That's the advantage of a higher capacity inverter.
A 1 KVA can take a maximum of two batteries while a 5KVA can take up to 8 batteries. More batteries might take a longer time to charge but it means more hours of usage. So you can take a larger simultaneous load. The extra capacity helps to carry ad-hoc loads for a few minutes e.g blender, extra TV, toaster.
Hope that answers your question.
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Olumide Famuyide wrote
at 1:34pm on June 5th, 2008
Kehinde, Chakams, Funsho: Can you guys please provide contact details for suppliers/installers. I need to install mine asap. Same PHCN problems in Abuja.
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 1:53pm on June 5th, 2008
@ Olumide: Call Henry Chiejina (Afexcorp) on 08055283706 / 08030401782 / 018941788 on or Aderemi Adeniran (Top-M) on 08033356180 / 018784290. I don't know if they can install in Abuja though. You can ask them if they know any Abuja installers.
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Muyiwa Gbenga-Oluwatoye wrote
at 2:08pm on June 5th, 2008
Simply buy a Yahama Generator from John Holt Plc...............Original, never fails, i havent had cause to complain for the past 3years and i dont have to worry about lead contamination to my daughter
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 2:14pm on June 5th, 2008
What kind of fuel does this Yamaha generator run on? Petrol or diesel? Which ever one it is you must be a very rich man to be able to get 24hr power supply from it. :-)
The point is that we need an alternative to expensive fuel, CO2 and noise pollution.
PS: Batteries are sealed so there is no risk of lead contamination. Goodness, where did you hear that? Inverters were not discovered in Nigeria. There are homes in the US that run solely on inverters so this is nothing new. Besides you are more likely to get lead poisoning from your borehole.
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Muyiwa Gbenga-Oluwatoye wrote
at 2:18pm on June 5th, 2008
doode, i have read and will foward to you links that warn of teh danger of lead contamination from inverters, arent they batteries? dont they contain lead?
arent nuclear stations sealed? dont we have some level of radiation leaks? cmon, this isnt a fool proof mechanism or device, the survey carried out also stated a HIGHER LEVEL OF LEAD CONTAMINATION IN HOMES OF PEOPLE WITH INVERTERS ESPECIALLY AMONGST CHILDREN than those without
Anyhow, its all a matter of choice, fuel for me isnt expensive, its an additional cost to my normal monthly fuel bill, its all about making adjustments and choosing what you prefer, shikenna abi?
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 4:29pm on June 5th, 2008
Doode! Inverters themselves don't contain lead, the batteries do. Your car battery also contains lead so I suggest you dispose of that immediately! Radiation from nuclear stations isn't caused by lead.
Lead contamination can be caused by things other than batteries. Besides contamination comes from disposal of batteries and not from everyday usage.
Please forward this study to me.
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Muyiwa Gbenga-Oluwatoye wrote
at 4:45pm on June 5th, 2008
Duh!! of course i know inverters dont contain lead but the BATTERIES IN THEM DO!!
The fact that there is relative exposure to potential lead poisoning is what we should focus on here and what approproate measures people who intend to use inverters shoudl take.
for example, my good friend Ladis inverter is DANGEROUSLY located right in his house, not too far from teh kitchen and i think close to teh freezer( im not sure) but for a fact i know its in his house an di pointedly told him, when you have kids, doode this will not WORK!!!
I also did not mean that radiation from nuclear plants are lead based, no. reread what i said, i used that as an analogy man to butress my point!!
will foward to you
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'Gbubemi Atimomo wrote
at 8:34pm on June 5th, 2008
Nxt level is solar power.... does that happen anywhere in Nigeria? and at wat costs?
Wasnt even aware the inverters had any form of radiation
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 8:45pm on June 5th, 2008
No mind Muyiwa oh! Creating panic.
Solar panels will set you back like 70k each. You'll need a minimum of 4 so that's another 280 on top.
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Charles Akamiokhor wrote
at 11:20pm on June 5th, 2008
@Muyiwa,the dangers of a constantly running.fuel guzzling,CO2-emitting generator far outweigh any alleged risk of inverters..well,mine has a closed wooden cabinet where my batteries are shelved 4 safety/neatness..for those with fridges connected,minimum of a 5KVA inverter & several batteries are required/suggested..remembr fridges need heavy,start-up power wheneva inverter backup kicks in..d issue with having so many batteries is that you need to have a prolonged of power for charging them regularly(i.e either from PHCN or your gen)..cos if not charged long enough,most of the batteries at the bottom of d pile wldnt see good/full charge and that can make them wear over time..its important for those wit little capacity not 2 use stuff like irons/toasters on dem,as damage can occur..also,avoid maximizing load on d inverter when being used/discharged so as to maximise hrs of usage
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Muyiwa Gbenga-Oluwatoye wrote
at 6:10am on June 6th, 2008
No doodes, im not trying to create any form of panic, check out your kids in a few years time for Lead exposure and dont say i ddnt warn you!!!
Ill expect as an educated and informed person your generator isnt in your kitchen or balcony, that you put it some good space from your living quaters, so that point of exposure to fumes is so very moot my man
my point is not to create panic, but make you aware of some potential implications of this alternative power source, notice i havent said they werent effective, i simply pointed out teh fact that you need to be careful where children are concerned
I rest me case
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 7:55am on June 6th, 2008
So are you saying my kids will have lead poisoning. If na joke make you stop man oh! What you are saying is not based on any facts. Your personal opinion cannot become fact just because you say so. Show some facts and maybe we'll believe you. Everyone here is educated and informed. I have done several google searches and read a few papers on this matter and can't find evidence to support your theory. When you want to convince people about something for their own good, scare tactics about people's children don't work. What you should do is to dig up all the evidence you can and present them in an unemotional and unbiased way. If I had evidence that inverters were dangerous to my kids do you honestly think I would put them in harm's way? All that is happening is that you have a paradigm which you have refused to let go of. In my own post I stated that lead-acid batteries do not emit lead when discharging normally, only when disposed of. Show me some facts before you rest your case!
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Muyiwa Gbenga-Oluwatoye wrote
at 10:53am on June 6th, 2008
doode, i already sent you a link and im surprise du havent refrenced that
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 10:56am on June 6th, 2008
Where did you send it to? I haven't seen it.
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Idmann Ugosa (Atlanta, GA) wrote
at 1:05pm on June 6th, 2008
Kehinde Nice one. how much did it cost u on d average? how much is fuel now in naija? people r bitchn about gas price increases here & I keep sayn that it is worse in oil exporting countries.
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 2:54pm on June 6th, 2008
Petrol is 70 (£0.30)/litre while diesel is 135 (£0.58)/litre.
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Olaitan Ajayi wrote
at 10:33pm on June 7th, 2008
Hi Kehinde,
Great and investigative post! I bought an inverter 3 months ago. I heard about it from a a colleague and immediately signed on! Its highly recommended and i am getting my parents one as well!
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Kehinde Shote wrote
at 7:50am on June 9th, 2008
@ Laitan: That's good. What brand do you have? How has it performed so far?
@ other posters: Any issues with your inverter so far?
AMALGA POWER TECH JOS, PLATEAU STATE. A MANUFACTURER OF INVERTERS/CHARGERS. I'VE BEEN USING A 3KV INVERTER I BOUGHT AND INSTALLED FROM THEM FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS AND HAVE NEVER COMPLAINED. I'M IN LOVE WITH IT BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN SERVING ME AND MY FAMILY SO SO WELL.. I THINK YOU ALL SHOULD TRY IT. THE COMPANY'S MARKETING DIRECTOR IS BOLA[08033752095].
pls i will want to have a phone no of any person that sells and install inverter in abuja cause am in need of it
i just got a 2KVA inverter with 2 200amh zenith deepcycle batteries.i gave the batteries an initial charge of 8hrs with my 2.5KVA generator and interesting got 30hrs power supply but surprisingly i charged it again with gen for 5hrs and only got 6hrs power supply. Pls i need someone to help me on how to charge the batteries properly to keep getting the initial power supply(of 30hrs).
you only get what you put in
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