How much solar do I need for a 3-bedroom home?
A practical sizing guide for Nigerian homes, with worked examples and the questions to ask before you pay.
By Damdavy Team
The quick answer
Most 3-bedroom homes in Nigeria land between 3kVA and 5kVA of inverter capacity, paired with 5–10kWh of battery storage and 4–8 solar panels. That covers essential loads (lights, fans, fridge, TV, phone charging) for 8–14 hours.
The longer answer
The honest answer depends on four things:
1. **Which loads you want to run** — a fridge uses more than you think.
2. **How long you need backup** — overnight vs. multi-day.
3. **Your daytime usage** — daytime solar offsets grid use.
4. **Your budget** — lithium is more expensive upfront, but cheaper per cycle.
A worked example
A typical 3-bedroom home with fridge, 4 fans, 10 LED bulbs, 1 TV, 1 decoder, and phone charging:
- Daily energy: ~6–8 kWh
- Recommended inverter: 5kVA hybrid
- Recommended battery: 10kWh LiFePO4
- Recommended panels: 6 × 450W (2.7kW array)
Before you pay
Always request a written load assessment, not a guess. The biggest mistake we see is buying a system based on neighbour comparison instead of actual usage.
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