In recent times, individuals and organizations in Nigeria have seen inverters as an alternative souce of electricity whenever there’s power failure.

Unlike generators, inverters are noiseless and don’t cause pollution that affect the environment adversely.


However, for those that have nursed the idea of choosing an inverter for their electricity needs, the process of making the right selection can be quite tough. But in this post, we’ve decided to make the process quite straight forward; you just need to keep reading.

If you’re looking for an inverter to power your home, it is very likely that you would want to purchase one that can power your TV, DVD, lights, freezer, air conditioners, and kitchen appliances.

In this case, you will need to have a huge battery bank and this will cost you a lot of money. This is why it is advisable to use your inverter for your essential electrical needs unless you don’t mind spend a huge some of money on inverters and their batteries

If you’re wondering how to calculate the cost of battery units you would need to purchase based on your power usage, here’s how to go about it.


Typically, a sealed maintenance-free dry cell 200AH 12V battery can cost as much as N200,000

On the other hand, the wet cell battery type is quite cheaper and costs about half the price

If you want to use an inverter for your home or small-sized office, you can get a 1.4KVA or a 2.5KVA inverter.

However, here are some things you need to do before you start the buying process.


  1. List the wattage of each of the electrical appliances or items in your house. You can find this information on the body of these items.
  2. Calculate the total wattage in order to know the running requirement of using these items at the same time.
  3. Measure your backup requirement which will be calculated as the total load multiplied by the backup time. For example, 5 hours backup time is 5 hours multiplied by 500W (if the total wattage is 500W) which gives a total of 2500W. Also, you need to consider dissipation as a result of the power factor and the expected discharge of the battery.
  4. Divide the rated capacity by the unit rating of the battery you want to buy in order to know the number of batteries you need. For instance, a 200AH 12V battery with a rating of 2400 for a 4800VA power requirement is approximately 2 battery units

Now that you know the number of batteries you need to buy, the next question is what brand should you buy?

Well, there are many brands of inverters in the market. Some of the available brands in the country include Sukam, Xantrex, Victron, Mercury, Microtek, MoPower, Genius, Luminous, Prag etc.

Prices of Inverters in Nigeria

Below are some of the things you should look out for when selecting any of these brands.

Track Record


Due to the epileptic power supply in the country, many inverter manufacturers have targeted Nigeria as a viable market for inverters. Unfortunately, this situation has attracted the good, the bad and the ugly.

You may need to take a peek into the history of books of the various inverter manufacturers to know which of them you can trust your hard-earned cash with.

Recommendations

You can speak with family, friends and colleagues that use inverters and find out what they think about the brand they use. The information you get from this research will go a long way in helping you find the right brand.

Technical Support

Unless you’re an expert in inverter science, you will need some help with your inverter from time to time. This is why buying from a brand that provides excellent technical support is necessary.

Warranty

Warranty means the company is assuring the customer of quality and promised to repair or replace the device if it is damaged anytime during the warranty period with no additional fees.

You should look out for this service when buying your inverter and the longer the period, the better for you.

Dealership

It is one thing to find an excellent product; it’s another thing to buy it from an authentic source. This will ensure you buy a genuine product. Also, buying from just any random dealer can make you miss out on the warranty service that the manufacturer offers.

Customer Care

It is very important to buy from a brand that provides prompt assistance anytime you need one. A company that can not provide you with reliable customer service should be avoided.

Also, you need to look out for the right features when selecting your ideal inverter. Some of these include:

Charging system

Some inverters don’t have an in-build charging system which means you have to include the cost of chargers to your total inverter cost.

On the other hand, if the inverter comes with an in-built charging system, there’s no need to buy a charger.

Automation

Another excellent feature that you can find on some brands of inverters is full automation which means these devices can function properly even when you’re not around. All you need do is to preset them. Also, some inverters have a digital display on an LCD panel which shows the running status. These include the battery bank level, the total load etc.

Battery Protection

Apart from buying the right batteries for the inverter, you also need to protect them to ensure they last long. Also, protecting the batteries will ensure they don’t discharge unneccessarily. Some inverters come with an inbuilt system that can give feedback and signal when you need to reduce the load or shut down the system.

Price

Buying an inverter with all the necessary features is important but your budget is what determines what you’ll buy. Most importantly, you should buy an inverter that gives you the best value for money.

Engineering technology

  1. PWM-based MOSFET technology which enables highly regulated voltage and superior performance.
  2. Battery Bank Protection which helps to extend the battery life
  3. Silicon controlled rectifier technology helps the battery chargers and the constant charging and minimum power consumption.
  4. Overload technology prevents overload and comes with an auto-resetting system.
  5. Short circuit protection which safeguard the system and prevents damage.