By Daniel Agbor
In a country where electricity supply is epileptic and undependable, it seems incongruous that a 24-hour reality show would depict a house where electricity is constant. If you have been following the popular Big Brother Naija Lockdown show, you would be right to perceive the electricity situation of the house as being amiss when compared to that of most Nigerians.
At first sight, one could guess that the location of the house is being given preferential treatment by its distribution company when compared to the rest of the country. But as many would agree there’s hardly anywhere in Nigeria where 24-hour electricity for months as experienced in the house is possible. If you do know somewhere, I’d like to move there.
John Ugbe CEO of MultiChoice Nigeria, the parent company of DSTV the organisers of the Big Brother Naija Lockdown revealed that production costs for this season of the show cost a whooping ₦3.5 billion. It is not far-fetched to assume that that sum covers power supply.
So how does the house achieve its constant power supply?
In electricity deficient countries constant power supply can be achieved by complementing grid supply with a backup option. In many cases, this backup source is usually a fossil fuel generator, but recently, renewable sources and battery storage systems are increasingly being used. To ensure a seamless transition from one power source to another, you will need something else a power inverter.
An inverter is a device that converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). When connected to a battery or several batteries, it becomes an integrated system that stores electrical power during periods of power supply and discharges energy when there is no power.
When considering alternative power sources to be used by electronic devices and household appliances, the two obvious options inverters. While some circumstances lean toward generators being a wise choice, it ultimately depends on the needs of the consumer. But there are some factors to consider when deciding on your backup option.
Cost
Cost is a major factor in considering adopting either a generator or inverter. It has been posited that the long-term cost implication of owning a generator of any size to an inverter of equal size are different. Inverter owners could save as much as 45 to 60% annually of what they could spend running generators if they charged and use their inverters appropriately.
Research by the Director of Qantab Light Cube, Mr Chukwuka Madumelu, compared the cost of inverters and generators and showed that inverters are a more cost-effective option. From the research, a fuel-powered generator of 0.9 kVA capacity with an initial cost of ₦30,000, would amount to ₦472,600.00 per annum when run for 10 hours per day with the pump price of fuel at ₦145 per litre, while an equivalent inverter, with an initial cost of ₦55,000 and a battery cost of ₦125,000, would gulp only about ₦199,296 if charged with grid-supplied electricity and is used for eight hours daily throughout an entire year.
Efficiency
The efficiency of a generator is determined by the total watts of electricity produced, whereas the efficiency of an inverter depends on the amount of electricity stored by the battery. Many generators are not able to supply power to you with efficient power that is identical to grid power. The same problem exists with inverters. However, inverters are extremely efficient, compared to generators, and only consume DC power in direct relation to the amount of power they put out.
Environmentally friendly
Fossil fuel generators are a major source of pollution. Generators emit carbon and other harmful gases that cause not only ambient air pollution but also contribute to global warming. They are also notoriously noisy. Inverters on the other hand are clean with no noise or air pollution. A significant investment in solar panels in addition to an inverter could easily take the place of a generator. This would require a huge initial cost, but the long-term cost of ownership would be less with a solar/battery/inverter system than a generator.
Inverters have presented many with the opportunity to enjoy seamless constant power supply and I doubt your experience of BBNaija would be the same without one.