Solar vs generator: a 5-year cost comparison
A side-by-side cost comparison for a typical Nigerian home, with the assumptions laid out plainly.
By Damdavy Team
The setup we compared
A 3-bedroom home running essential loads (fridge, fans, lights, TV) for an average of 10 hours of generator use per day.
Generator (5kVA petrol)
- Fuel: ~₦45,000/month at current pump prices
- Maintenance: oil, spark plugs, servicing: ~₦80,000/year
- 5-year total: ~₦3.1m
Solar (5kVA hybrid + 10kWh + 6 panels)
- Equipment + installation: ~₦2.6m
- Maintenance: ~₦30,000/year
- Battery replacement: ~₦0 (LiFePO4 warranted for 7+ years)
- 5-year total: ~₦2.75m
The break-even
Solar pays for itself in roughly 2–3 years for this profile. After that, every month is a saving.
The non-financial win
Generators are loud, vibrate the house, and produce fumes. Solar is silent, has no moving parts in the daily use cycle, and is monitored from your phone.
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