I firmly believe the future of electricity lies with localized generation, especially with solar. I've seen a dramatic increase in solar-powered projects all over Nigeria as panels get cheaper, centralized power is still erratic (and in some towns, non-existent), and fuel can suddenly become scarce. It wouldn't surprise me if in 10-20 years, most people move from generator to solar, and the combined sum of solar panels on people's roofs eventually generate more electricity than PHCN.I think it's in our best interests as builders, contractors, customers, manufacturers, to get on board this train, fully understand the future, and guide the direction of this future so we won't suddenly be left behind.That said, I think there are a number of places that solar needs to improve before it becomes the default choice for power generation for most people:1. it has to cost less; I think it will, as more people use it2. it has to be more reliable; we need to educate the market about maintenance and battery replacement3. it has to be more efficient; we need to use it with the most appropriate devices (the heart of this topic)4. it has to be more useful than just lighting (solar really can't power a fridge, or AC, or stove or water heater); I'll try to tackle this in this topic too4. it needs to be manufactured in Nigeria, suited for our climate; I initially thought PSC Solar UK was actually going manufacture, but was sorely disappointed to find they were yet another retailer.OK, why this post'After realizing the future of solar and the potential for us in Nigeria, I decided to embark on a project that would be fully solar powered. After a lot of research, it seems that a 100% powered hostel would be the best test bed for this experiment. The main reason is that the power requirements of students in a hostel is relatively low: LED lights, a fan, and ability to charge a phone. On the other hand, a family might also require: AC, cooker, washing machine, fridge, deep freezer), all things that significantly drive up the cost of the solar installation.After deciding on students, it occurred to me that the installation can be made even more efficient and cheaper if we got rid of the inverter: most devices a student needs uses low voltage DC: mobile phone, laptop, small TV, fan, lights. All these devices require a step down transformer to convert 220V AC down to 5V-12V DC. After more research, it seems the act of stepping the low voltage from a solar panel up to 220V, just to step it down to 5V loses up to 40% energy. If you can charge your mobile directly from a 12V panel and a 5V regulator, you'd need a smaller panel, smaller battery, no inverter, and save significant money.So I imagine a whole bunch of solar-powered hostels, highly efficient and tuned to students' needs, without worry about fuel scarcity, generator maintenance, or erratic power supply. The only caveat, at least initially, is that these hostels cannot support some things that students might also rely on: iron, ac, electric cooker, and other random AC appliances. However, I think if we understand the shortcomings and maximize the positives, we might actually have a viable project that students and their landlords will love.Which leads me to our minimum viable project: it's a tiny 6m X 6m two-room bungalow with a kitchen and bathroom for 4 people. It's a tiny project, and some might even say why bother. To be honest, I have grander plans, but this is what I can afford right now. It's something to test our ideas and cheaply make mistakes before we embark on anything bigger. Here's a floor plan and the proposed elevations, nothing professional, but we'll be employing best practice.This post is really a log of our ideas, failures, and successes; it should also be a great discussion board for everyone to share ideas and learn from; it is also a solicitation from interested contractors, suppliers, dreamers as we go along. We'll also be discussing how we reduce costs (e.g. using compressed earth blocks, no German floor, no ensuites or ante rooms, and absolutely no columns). There's even the radical idea of using solar panels as the roofing material. In other words, instead of the traditional wood work and roofing sheets, I'm thinking we can weld and rainproof panels together to form a 6mx6m roof that is then attached to roof. Initial cost analysis of the number of solar panels vs wood&sheets seems to suggest it's not too silly an idea, besides we can use the money from traditional roofing materials to buy more panels and support more appliances. More analysis to follow.All in all, this looks like quite an exciting project, so let's get started.
Click here to read full news..
