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  Nigeria faces the challenges of providing a reliable power supply, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and keeping energy affordable to Nigerians. The availability of electricity in Nigeria has worsened over the years and millions of Nigerians have to put up with noisy, smoky petrol-fuelled generators to power their lives. The country’s failure to provide adequate and reliable energy has negatively affected the economy and greenhouse emissions.
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Its commercial and industrial sectors have become heavily reliant on self-generated power, using petrol and diesel generators. This accounts for nearly half of all electricity consumed. The usage of generators, though beneficial, also has a counter effect both on business owners, customers, the economy, and the Environment at large. Nigeria’s shortage of reliable power supply is a constraint on the country’s economic growth which brings about the need to look for other sources of generating energy. But if the energy-hungry private sector invested more in the self-generation of electricity to solve the problem, pollution (both noise and air ) would rise. An increase in self-generation with fuel and diesel generators means there would be an increase in greenhouse gas emissions leading to global warming. An increase in the cost of fuel, gas, and diesel would mean that businesses that need electricity to function will incur more expenditure for generating energy. This will, in turn, affect the cost of their services making it difficult for their customers. To solve this dilemma, there is a need to find other means of power generation at a minimum cost that is environmentally friendly. The answer is the adoption of solar panels in generating renewable and sustainable energy. Solar electricity panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that can be used at home and in business areas. By installing solar panels, one can generate renewable electricity. A solar PV panel consists of many cells made from layers of semi-conducting materials especially silicon. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created. The cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is generated. Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 200-350W of energy in strong sunlight. Typical systems contain 10 to 15 panels and generate direct current (DC) electricity. Because the electricity used for household appliances is alternating current (AC), an inverter is installed along with the system to convert DC electricity to AC. This electricity can be used throughout your home, or exported to the grid.
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The trend towards adoption of Solar, though now widespread, is as a result of the increase in fuels /gas/diesel price as well as of governments inability to provide electricity to the masses a. Solar Energy is increasingly used in Nigeria for a wide range of needs: from lighting and powering of (small) appliances, to water pumping, irrigation, refrigeration, telecommunications, and general electrification. The increasing adoption is generally driven by a reduction in the cost of solar: The prices of solar panels went from $5 per watt in 2000 to $0.37 in 2017, and this represents a 93% drop in prices. The cost of going solar has been significantly reduced by more than 40% due to falling manufacturing costs and market competition. Still, the average cost of installing a 4-kW solar PV system for an average three-bedroom household in Nigeria is N1.8 million ($9,090) including the costs for a battery. Initially, solar panels were not manufactured in Nigeria but PSC Solar U.K limited expanded into Nigeria with warehouses in Abuja, Lagos, and Ibadan. Other companies in Nigeria that sell and installs solar panels are: 
  • Ecozar Technologies (Lagos )
  • Rubitech Nigeria LTD.(Nationwide)
  • Leks Environmental Limited. (Lagos) 
  • Solar Force Nigeria PLC. (Abuja )
  • Wavetra Energy LTD.( Lagos )
  • Astrum  Energy Solutions LTD.( Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Jos) 
  • Powertech Solar Energy LTD.(Nationwide) 
  • Hians Energy solutions LTD.(Enugu)
The price of a solar panel is determined by how many Watts and silicon crystals it contains. There are two types of solar panels: 
  • Monocrystalline: This contains a single continuous silicon crystal. It is black. A 200W monocrystalline solar panel’s price is  39,000 Naira. 
  • Polycrystalline: This contains multiple crystals of Silicon. They are usually blue and are cheaper than monocrystalline solar panels. They are also said to have a better temperature tolerance than mono panels. A 200W polycrystalline type starts at 43,000 Naira. 
In all, you can buy a Solar Panel starting at 10W for 6,000 Naira. Solar panels can come with different output voltages. Hence a 200W solar panel may offer 12V, 24V, etc. You can also connect several solar panels in series to get your required voltage output. The prices of solar panels in Nigeria are as follows:
  • 10W – 6,000 Naira to 20,000 Naira
  • 20W – 9,500 Naira to 20,000 Naira
  • 30W – 14,500 Naira to 30,000 Naira
  • 50W – 14,900 Naira to 35,000 Naira
  • 60W – 25,500 Naira to 40,000 Naira
  • 80W – 16,500 Naira to 45,000 Naira
  • 100W – 20,000 Naira to 80,000 Naira
  • 120W – 25,000 Naira to 90,000 Naira
  • 130W (Mono) – 27,000 Naira to 95,000 Naira
  • 130W (Poly) – 29,000 Naira to 95,000 Naira
  • 150W – 29,000 NGN to 80,000 NGN
  • 180W – 45,000 NGN to 80,000 NGN
  • 200W (Mono) – 39,000 NGN to 85,000 NGN
  • 200W (Poly) – 43,000 NGN to 95,000 NGN
  • 230W – 43,000 NGN to 140,000 NGN
  • 250W (Mono) – 45,000 NGN to 150,000 NGN
  • 250W (Poly) – 50,000 NGN to 150,000 NGN
  • 260W – 55,000 NGN to 150,000 NGN
  • 300W (Mono) – 62,000 NGN to 200,000 NGN
  • 300W (Poly) – 70,000 NGN to 200,000 NGN
  • 310W – 70,000 NGN to 200,000 NGN
  • 320W – 70,000 NGN to 200,000 NGN
Solar energy has fewer health effects when compared to fuel. It has also been proven that solar products are safe to use as most reported cases of death and loss of properties by fire incidents in homes are caused by the use of kerosene, fuel, and candle lights. Although the purchasing and installation cost is expensive, after that initial stage, you can now enjoy adequate electricity regardless of the weather. Featured Image Source: Vesselnet solar
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This article was first published on 1st February 2022 and updated on February 3rd, 2022 at 12:31 pm

eyimegwu-ekene

I am an accomplished content creator and recently delved into technical writing. I enjoy using my skills to contribute to the exciting technological advances and create awareness of evolving technological trends in Nigeria.

Comments (2)

2 thoughts on “Solar Panels: Generating Renewable Energy Electricity In Nigeria”

  • solar power companies in nigeria

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    We have the best engineering team in the field to work with you and help you
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    Reply
  • Solar street lighting installation

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