Abstract
The perennial inadequate power supply problem in Nigeria, the worldwide call for green energy and the unavailability of grid electrical supply or difficulty in accessing it have created a need for the adoption of renewable energy such as solar PV systems. PV systems have a lifespan ranging from 10 to 25 years if well maintained but it has been observed that PV systems do not last up to their useful lifespan in Nigeria. A preliminary survey carried out showed that 71.2% of sample did not carry out any maintenance on their PV installations, 85.7% agreed that a lack of maintenance was responsible for their nonfunctional PV systems and 95% of the respondents agreed that there was a lack of maintenance on PV installations in Nigeria. A maintenance regime was developed for PV systems whereby a maintenance personnel is appointed to carry out routine or breakdown maintenance on solar panels, charge controller, battery, inverter, and cabling. The regime starts with turning off power coming from the solar panels. The maintenance of the solar panels follows; next is maintenance on all cable wiring and terminations. After all cable terminations have been checked, the battery maintenance follows. The charge controller is then checked for maintenance and subsequently, power from solar panels can be switched on to restore charging. Two protective installations were recommended in the maintenance regime namely the installation of earthing and DC circuit breakers to protect the solar system installation.
Highlights
The perennial inadequate power supply problem in Nigeria and the constant call for green energy worldwide have created a need for the adoption of renewable energy such as solar photovoltaic (PV) system
This study presented a maintenance regime for off-grid solar PV systems in Nigeria to extend the years of service of the systems
The maintenance should be made mandatory on all installations and as such maintenance personnel must be appointed where necessary to take care of the maintenance work
Summary
The perennial inadequate power supply problem in Nigeria and the constant call for green energy worldwide have created a need for the adoption of renewable energy such as solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Many problems bedevil application of solar PV renewable energy in Nigeria These problems range from affordability, poor awareness level, over-reliance on importation for component parts, high initial cost of solar equipment, theft and vandalization of systems setup, systems malfunctioning or performance deterioration arising from poor maintenance, lack of technical know-how, Lack of tailored financing package, to inadequate training of end-users [7]-[9]. It has been shown in the literature that there is a link between field maintenance practices and performance of solar PV systems [10]. It is clear, that system maintenance should start with people before equipment
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