But how do you pick out the proper Inverter for your home or office? Which elements are crucial to bear in mind whilst shopping for an Inverter and battery? Thus this inverter buying guide.
There are actually heaps of branded inverters and batteries on the Nigerian market today. If you choose an inverter and battery with incorrect specification (not suitable to carry to your equipment wattage) in your home or office, you may end up spending excessively.
This Power Inverter buying guide I am writing today will guide you with the data you need to understand to aid you make the right purchase for home appliances or office equipment.
Inverter and Solar Power in Nigeria (The Ultimate Guide)
What is Inverter?
Inverter is an electric and battery equipped device that converts DC power (Direct Current) to AC power (Alternating Power). Inverter has the ability to offer you a maximum back up of 24 hours or longer depending on the types or size of Inverter batteries you purchased.
It is all-in-one power back up solution for your home or office needs. Power inverter offers power back up to household appliances such as Fans, Television, freezer, refrigerator, washing machine, AC etc and office equipment like Laserjet printer, laptop, monitors, desktop etc.
How Does Inverter Work?
The inverter draws it power from a 12 Volt battery or several batteries wired in parallel. The battery will need to be recharged as the power is drawn out of it by the inverter. The battery can be charged by being plugged into an AC outlet to recharge the battery. A power inverter uses electronic circuits to cause the DC power flow to change directions, making it alternate like AC power. An inverter uses transistors to continually switch the direction of the voltage or in an oscillator to produce a sinewave which happens 50 or 60 times a second, according to the frequency required. These oscillations are rough and tend to create a square waveform rather than a rounded one, so filters are required to smooth out the wave, allowing it to be used by more electronic devices.
AC power is easier to step up or down, or change from one voltage to another, than DC and easier to regulate. In many cases, when a power inverter is in use, DC power is being converted to AC power, which is then stepped down and turned back into DC power inside the device. AC power flows back and forth in alternating directions so that, when represented on a graph, it appears like a sine wave, with smooth and regular peaks and valleys. A DC power is steady and continuous, with an electrical charge that flows in only one direction
Components Of Power Inverter
- Inverter
- Invertery batteries
- Charger controller
Types Of Power Inverter
There are two types of inverters available on Nigeria market today for your consumption. Modified Sine Wave (which is called Square Sine Inverters) and Pure Sine Wave (which is also known as True Sine Wave Inverters).
1. Modified Sine Wave Inverters
If you desire to power small household appliances like lights, TV,s and fans, you can go with with Modified Sine Wave inverters. They are low-cost and feature high efficiency. They will provide you with energy comparable but the power will not be equal to what you get from NEPA. Therefore, it is not advisable to use modified sine waves on delicate electronics such as digital clocks, home automatum system and medical devices because their waves are rougher and create extra noise.
2. Pure Sine Wave Inverters
But if you would like to run large appliances like a fridge, freezer, AC, medical system, televisions, digital clocks with radios, laser printers, photocopiers, home automatum systems, computers, medical devices and telecommunications equipments etc then Pure Sine Wave inverter is your best bet. They are ideal for motor startups, make little or no noise and supply electricity great equivalent to what you get from NEPA, however, the only down side of Pure Sine Wave inverter is that it is costly than modified sine wave inverters.
Why i like Pure Sine Wave Inverters is because it gives the exact kind power NEPA gives me to carry all my powerful appliances so I fear nothing.
Comparison Table For Modified and Pure Sine Wave Inverter
Features
|
Modified Sine Wave Inverters
|
Pure Sine Wave Inverters
|
Supported Appliances
|
Bulbs, fans, microwaves etc
|
Computers, refrigerator, freezers, Oven, Television, laserjet printer, desktops etc.
|
Noise level
|
High, creates humming noise in inverters as well as in appliances.
|
Normal
|
Safety of Appliances
|
Less
|
High
|
Price
|
Economical
|
High
|
How To Choose Right Size of Inverters?
To pick the right size inverter that will suit your needs, you have to calculate the overall wattage of all of the electric home equipment you would really like to run on the inverter. This can be carried out by means of checking the energy score label discovered on each equipment and including up the entire wattage.
You can discover the wattage of your appliances with the aid of checking the markings on them or by means of studying the user manuals. If you wish to maintain your total value down, it is advisable to run only your crucial home equipment on the inverter. The following is an example of how to calculate how many wattage back up you need for your appliances
Appliance
|
Power
|
Television
|
150w
|
2 Fan
|
80w
|
4 energy saving bulb
|
60w
|
Dstv
|
20w
|
Total
|
570w
|
The total power requirement you need is (150 + 2*80 + 4*60 + 20) = 570 watts. So you need inverter which can support570 watts appliances in your home.
It is always advisable to buy inverter that times two (2) of the size of your wattage needed so you don't have to overload your inverter and kill the capacity.
Inverter Battery Bank
Batteries are required to charge and stored DC energy from NEPA, Generator or Solar Panels. Batteries are important a part of any energy backup machine and the performance and durability of your inverter gadget will be dependent on the quality of the batteries you purchased.
The minimum required size of your battery bank will be determined by the voltage requirements of your inverter. For instance a 12-volt inverter needs a 12 volts battery to work and will work well when connected to single 12v battery. A 24-volt inverter would require 24 volts battery, which you can achieve by connecting 2 no. 12 volt (2*12 = 24v) batteries.
Think of a battery to be like a bucket of power. It will hold the only amount it meant to hold and no quantity of praying or forcing will make it hold more. Battery capacities are usually given in Ampere Hour (AH), specifically indicating the inverter’s current supply rate per hour of operation, for instance, a 200 AH inverter battery can supply 200AH of current for every 60 mins of operations.
The most common inverter battery capacities to be had in Nigeria are 12v 100AH and 200AH.
How To Calculate Inverter Batteries Capacity?
This is very easy to calculate. Get the total number watt you want to back up and know the number of hours you want to back them up, then divide the total figure by inverter voltage. The final answer will be the capacity of the inverter battery you will buy.
For example:
From the above calculation we have 570w as the number of wattage we want to back up.
And the number of hours i want the back up is 7 hours.
Power Required
|
Back up Hours
|
Required Battery Capacity (AH)
|
570watt
|
7
|
570*7 = 3990/12v = 332.5AH
|
This means that for you to have a 7 hours back up for your television, 2 fans, 4 energy saving bulbs and Dstv which is total of 570w you 332.5AH Inverter battery. In this scenario now, you will need to buy 2 numbers of 200AH inverter batteries which is total of 400AH (2*200AH) or 4 number 100AH of inverter batteries is also 400AH (4*100AH).
If you are on tight budget, you can start your uninterrupted power supply journey with the economical type which is Modified Sine Wave Inverters batteries and upgrade to Pure Sine Wave batteries as time goes on in a while in case your necessities change.
We supply all inverters and batteries and also do the the installation for you free of charge with after sale support so long as you purchase your device components from us: Nedtech Power Solutions.
Types of Inverter Battery
Even although inverters are run by using lead acid batteries, the ones usually used in vehicles are not compatible with inverters because those kind of batteries are constructed for handing exceptional high currents for short time, for instance, starting the ignitions of vehicles.
Never used motor batteries to charge your inverters if you will want them to last longer for you.
Dry Cell Deep Cycle Inverter Batteries
They are convenient for inverter system use because they require absolutely no maintenance. These kinds of batteries are perfect for home or small workplace applications where regular battery maintenance isn't always possible. Unlike Wet Cell Deep Cycle batteries they may be left sitting around for lengthy durations without use, with no detriment (damage) to overall performance.
I like this batteries because they are less expensive to maintain.
Tubular Wet Cell Deep Cycle Batteries
They come equipped with sophisticated designs, which make certain notable electric efficiency and extends its lifespan. They can go on working for 10 years and above, however, they can be very to maintain and should never be leave without using it for a longer time otherwise it will get damaged. They need everyday use to keep it to enjoy its finest performance.
This Inverter batteries include caps which has to be removed every 3 to 6 months and fill it again with distilled water and they emit hydrogen gas while charging so you to keep in a good ventilated place.
Inverter Batteries Comparison Table
Features
|
Tubular Battery
|
Dry Cell Battery
|
Battery Life
|
High (5 and above)
|
Medium (3 to 4yrs)
|
Maintenance
|
High
|
Low
|
Water toppings
|
High
|
Low
|
Safety
|
Low
|
High
|
Release harming gases
|
Yes
|
No
|
Ventilation Required
|
Yes
|
No
|
Weight
|
High
|
Depending on Model
|
Price
|
Economical
|
High
|
Inverter Efficiency and Battery Charging
Efficient inverters like the ones sold on Nedtech Power Solution sell draw maximum power from your NEPA light, generator or solar (Sun) to fully charge your batteries keeping it ready for automatic over once utility power is gone.
Warranties
All our Power inverter and batteries comes with OEMs warranty.
Solar Inverter
Before we go there is another type of Inverter called Solar Inverter. It is simply called Solar Inverter because it draws its own energy or power from SUN directly. In this case you don't need neither generator nor NEPA light to charge your inverter. Once the sun is shining, your inverter will be charging.
This is suitable for rural or remote area where there is no other source of light than sunlight. Or area where there is limited utility power/energy.
In conclusion, have a question? Drop it at the comment section, we will be glad to attend to them or contact us here for a your free quotation. We deal on all kinds of inverter both power & solar, batteries, charger controllers, solar connectors etc.
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