10kw Off-Grid System Solar Power For Nigeria School Children

InkPV designed an off-grid solar system, supplied equipment and all the accessory for a school in Nigeria.

Implementing a 10 kW off-grid solar power system for school children in Nigeria is a commendable initiative that can provide reliable and sustainable electricity to support their education.


This new off grid system means that the school can enhance it’s education offering through increased solar system capacity.

It will also result in a significant annual fuel saving in the region of $3,200 as well as the associated logistical costs in getting fuel to this remote location.

It also insulates the school's finances against the vagaries of fuel price inflation.

Teachers will now be able to print,photocopyand use computers during daytime too, removing the burden of night time use. It also means that workers will have more and better lighting to carry out activities such as cooking,baking,cleaning,etc when it suits them.

Generally,the greater availability of electricity will help the school to work more efficiently. The safety and wellbeing of children at night will improved by having better lighting of
dormitories and circulation areas.

Solar light will also remove the cost of kerosene and batteries currently used for night lights.
For the management of the school:
The solar PV should cover most (>90%) of the electricity supply, displacing inefficient diesel
generators. It is estimated that the project willresult in an annual saving in diesel of E3700(not counting the time of the weekly 5-hour journeyto Sumbawanga, and wear and tear on the van, for collecting the fuel).

The existing 3-phase generator was deemed to be highly oversized and running inefficiently. It was replaced by the new single-phase generator and will be put to better use at the Abbey. 

The existing control panel was found to be deficient and was also replaced by a brand new solar system.

But we will still use the diesel generator, in case the battery power is not enough. We use a doulbe way breaker, so that the school can choose what power source they need.

By the first night, the mounting frames were largely assembled and 50% of the solar modules installed. When we realised that there had been a misunderstanding on the size of the concrete blocks used for ballast, a solution was quickly found to retrofit them without delaying the solar array installation.
We know now that it would have beenmore efficient to cast concrete pads directly into the plinth (or the ground) and we'll take that asa lesson learned for the next project.
After a few trial and errors, we had a good routinein place-a very different approach than the manufacturer's instructions but nevertheless very effective.

Its considered best practice to use a long line of batteries connected in series for your battery bank, but this not always possible due to the voltage and AH requirements. For example, if you’re deciding to add extra energy storage capacity to the Bach (Cabin Kit), the minimum upgrade is four extra batteries. Because Wiring requirements, You will have to connect two 48V systems (4 in series) in parallel for the battery system to be sustainable.

If you wish to expand your energy storage capacity,We’d highly recommend you to use 2V batteries as your storage solution. You will need twenty-four 2V batteries to build a 48V battery system (Wired in Series), By using 2v500ah batteries, it will give you roughly 24kw of storage capacity. This 2-Volt battery bank will be much more efficient than running twelve 12-Volt batteries and wiring 3-strings of 4 into parallel — Because parallel connections have trouble evenly charge/discharge across batteries.

While 2V batteries do exist and can be used in specific applications, for a typical 10 kW off-grid solar power system, it is more practical and efficient to use batteries with higher voltage

Join hands with us to make a difference in the lives of Nigerian school children. Support initiatives that promote access to clean and sustainable energy by volunteering, donating, or spreading awareness. Together, we can create a brighter future.

Ben is a researcher, and data analysis expert who has worked for clients in the solar power system. He knows the battery very well.