Category: Solar Energy News

I shot this video today in Wantage, while visiting a solar farm. When the project is complete it will generate 10 MW of electricity, that is not dependent on natural gas, diesel or hydro. Nigeria anticipates that in 2020 she will produce 10,000 MW. This small facility using solar panels will produce 1% of the power that Nigeria anticipates feeding to her grid. This little facility will produce 3% of what Nigeria currently has going to the grid. Solar is proven. Solar is inexpensive. Sunshine is abundant in Nigeria. Watch the video and you will notice the absence of the sun. That has not deterred the builders of this 10 MW or .001 GW system from building a system. It makes economic sense to have solar as part of the energy solution in Nigeria. We have been asked questions about the reliability of Solar Power. Solar systems built today are very reliable. They have proven to be dependable sources of energy for large office buildings, mass retailers and governmental agencies, supplying megawatts of energy. Some of the largest companies in the world have buildings powered by solar energy, including eBay, WalMart, and the US Air Force. Talk to us about our RaLiza Basic, Premium and Ultimate line of home solar solutions. For your business ask us about our Minona line up to 200,000 Watts (200 Kva). Your business will love you for it. Come and let’s harness the power of the sun and take back our environment one person at a time.

Happy New Year to all of you. We were told about problems people have had with generators in Nigeria and we decided to do a search in the Nigerian papers to confirm if these problems were common. This is what we found. A disturbing trend that we hope to help our readers avoid.

Read some excerpts below.

“RECENTLY, a new-wed couple choked to death from generator fumes in their new home on the outskirt of Calabar, Cross River State. Around the same time, in Ibadan, Oyo State, a 69-year-old man passed away along with seven other members of his family after they were overcome by fumes from a portable generator that was running on the first floor of their home. Reports indicated that the level of fumes inside the home was three times the danger limit.

Prior to this incident, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, two teenagers died from generator fumes poisoning because the generator they were using to power ceiling fans was too close to the room in which they slept. Much later, in Agege area of Lagos State, a middle aged man who was running a generator in his basement died in his sleep when the generator fumes infiltrated his bedroom.

In yet another incidence somewhere on the Lagos mainland, a 30-year-old man who went to bed with his family while a generator was running in his garage, also died along with them as a result of the close proximity of the device. In Abuja, between June 2012 and March 2013, four people died in separate incidents as a result of poisoning from generator fumes.” Vanguard October 9,2013.

This was what happened on May 28, when Mrs. Chinyere Celestine, and four of her children were found dead in their home off Goodnews Street, in Azikoro suburb, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

They were said to have died in their sleep that night, while the generator was still on.

The father of the children and husband of Chinyere, identified as Celestine, who was said to be in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when the tragedy occurred, had called a neighbour when he could not reach his wife on telephone the next day. After several attempts to wake the victims, the neighbour raised the alarm that compelled other neighbours to force the door open. They found the victims

Join us in welcoming a new year. 2014. This is a year full of promise and an opportunity to make a difference.

We want to thank you for your emails and questions. We will answer the most immediate and then create a FAQ section to cover the most commonly asked questions.

Is Solar Power reliable?
Yes: It has very few moving parts. With advances in electronics the main system the Inverter and Charge controller are pretty durable. It is important you purchase a quality product. You get what you pay for. The Solar panels or PV’s usually last 20 to 25 years with very minimal maintenance. The batteries last between 4 to 5 years. Some systems have had batteries last longer than 8 years. Batteries require monthly checks.

Are the lights as bright as what I get from the grid or a generator?
Yes: Most high quality Inverters are pure sine wave systems. They work best on your lights and sensitive electronics. You will not experience any flickering or spikes. As long as you have enough energy stored in your batteries, the inverter will provide clean strong AC power.

Can I increase capacity in the future?
Yes the system is fully scalable. Some inverters allow you to chain them so you can double the capacity of the system. You can also add additional solar panels (PV) and batteries to increase the capacity and efficiency of your system.

Please watch this short video from the US Department of Energy that tells you more about Solar Power.

Let us help you harness the power of the Sun. Email us at info@atlanticwastepower.com for more information on our solutions. We can also design a custom system for your home in Nigeria.

How do solar panels convert the sun