How much is a solar inverter in Nigeria? Checked 16 September 2026: 1–1.5 kVA ₦120k–₦260k; 2.5 kVA ₦200k–₦380k; 3.5 kVA ₦260k–₦480k; 5 kVA ₦420k–₦750k; 10 kVA ₦1.2m–₦2.2m. A "5 kVA" unit typically delivers 4 kW continuous (power factor 0.8) and 8 kW for a few seconds of surge.
Prices by size
Budget units at the low end have 145 V PV inputs and lead-acid-first charge profiles; the high end buys high-voltage dual MPPT, BMS communication, parallel capability and a service centre.
| Rating | Battery bus | Low | High | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–1.5 kVAOff-grid / hybrid | 12 V | ₦120,000 | ₦260,000 | Lights, TV, fans, phone charging |
| 2.5 kVAHybrid (MPPT) | 24 V | ₦200,000 | ₦380,000 | Adds a fridge |
| 3.5 kVAHybrid (MPPT) | 24 V | ₦260,000 | ₦480,000 | Small flat; one 1 HP AC with care |
| 5 kVAHybrid (MPPT, 80–100 A) | 48 V | ₦420,000 | ₦750,000 | The standard 3-bedroom size |
| 5–6 kVAHybrid, dual-MPPT, WiFi (Deye, Growatt, Luxpower class) | 48 V | ₦550,000 | ₦900,000 | Parallel-capable, grid-tie capable |
| 8 kVAHybrid | 48 V | ₦900,000 | ₦1,500,000 | Two ACs |
| 10 kVAHybrid, often 3-phase option | 48 V | ₦1,200,000 | ₦2,200,000 | Large home, small business |
kVA vs kW: what the box number means
Inverters are rated in kilovolt-amperes (apparent power). Real power in kilowatts is apparent power multiplied by the power factor of the load. Manufacturers in this market rate at 0.8, so:
// 5 kVA × 0.8 = 4.0 kW // 3.5 kVA × 0.8 = 2.8 kW // 10 kVA × 0.8 = 8 kW
// some newer hybrids (Deye, Luxpower) rate at pf 1.0: 5 kW is 5 kW. Read the datasheet line "rated output power (W)".
| Rating | Continuous (pf 0.8) | Surge, typical | Battery bus | Max PV input, typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kVA | 800 W | 1.6 kW / 5 s | 12 V | 600–1,000 W |
| 1.5 kVA | 1.2 kW | 2.4 kW | 12 V | 1,000–1,500 W |
| 2.5 kVA | 2 kW | 4 kW | 24 V | 2,000–3,000 W |
| 3.5 kVA | 2.8 kW | 5.6 kW | 24 V | 3,000–4,000 W |
| 5 kVA | 4 kW | 8 kW | 48 V | 5,000–6,500 W |
| 8 kVA | 6.4 kW | 12 kW | 48 V | 8,000–10,000 W |
| 10 kVA | 8 kW | 16 kW | 48 V | 10,000–13,000 W |
Surge: why the AC trips a "big enough" inverter
Motors draw several times their running current for a fraction of a second at start. A non-inverter 1.5 HP air conditioner runs at about 1.5 kW but may pull 4–5 kW for 200 ms; a 1 HP pumping machine (750 W) can pull 2–2.5 kW. The inverter must supply that from the battery, so two limits apply: its surge rating (typically 2× continuous for 5–10 seconds) and the battery's maximum discharge current (a lithium BMS rated at 100 A on a 48 V bus caps you at about 4.8 kW including surge).
Inverter-type (variable-speed) air conditioners and fridges soft-start and draw little surge; they are the single biggest reason a 5 kVA system works or fails with an AC on it.
| Appliance | Running | Starting (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling fan | 70 | 105 |
| Standing fan | 60 | 90 |
| Fridge (inverter type) | 120 | 360 |
| Chest freezer | 150 | 450 |
| Inverter AC 1 HP | 800 | 1.200 |
| Inverter AC 1.5 HP | 1.200 | 1.800 |
| Non-inverter AC 1.5 HP | 1.500 | 4.500 |
| Water pump 1 HP | 750 | 2.250 |
| Microwave | 1.200 | 1.800 |
| Washing machine | 500 | 1.250 |
Hybrid, off-grid, grid-tie
| Type | What it does | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Off-grid (with built-in MPPT) | Runs loads from battery and solar; charges from grid or generator when present. Grid passes through, no export. | Most Nigerian homes: grid is unreliable, no net metering, generator as second input. |
| Hybrid | As off-grid, plus can blend grid and solar to the loads at once, export where allowed, prioritise solar over battery, schedule charging, and usually parallel with more units. | The current default at 5 kVA and up (Deye, Growatt, Luxpower, Felicity, Solis). |
| Grid-tie (no battery) | Converts solar to AC and feeds it alongside the grid. Shuts down when the grid fails (anti-islanding). | Only where the grid is on most of the day and the DisCo permits it. Rare in residential Nigeria; useful for daytime commercial loads on Band A. |
| Inverter-charger (no solar input) | Battery backup charged from the grid; needs a separate charge controller for panels. | The "inverter" most Nigerians bought before 2020. Adding solar means adding an MPPT controller or replacing it. |
"Hybrid" is used loosely in shops for any inverter with an MPPT input. The feature that matters is whether it can run loads from solar directly while the battery is full and the grid is off, and whether it can run in parallel later. Both should be on the datasheet.
Battery voltage and charge settings
The DC bus fixes the bank size: 12 V for ≤1.5 kVA, 24 V for 2–3.5 kVA, 48 V for 5 kVA and up. Higher voltage means lower current for the same power (5 kW at 48 V is about 104 A; at 12 V it would be 417 A, which is why 12 V inverters stop at 1.5 kVA).
For lithium, look for BMS communication (CAN bus or RS485) and a compatibility list naming the battery brand, or at least a user-defined charge profile where absorption, float and low-voltage cut-off can be set to the battery's datasheet. Lead-acid profiles applied to lithium overcharge it; lithium profiles applied to lead-acid undercharge it. The charger current rating (e.g. 80 A or 100 A) sets how fast a bank recharges from grid or generator: a 10 kWh pack at 100 A on 48 V takes about 2.5 hours from empty. More on chemistry and DoD: solar batteries.
MPPT input: PV voltage and current
The maximum-power-point tracker accepts panels only within a voltage window. Three datasheet lines decide your string design:
- Max PV input voltage (e.g. 145 V on a budget 5 kVA, 500 V on a Deye-class hybrid). The string's open-circuit voltage on the coldest morning must stay below it. Three 550 W panels in series at Voc 49.5 V = 148.5 V, over a 145 V limit: a common and expensive mistake.
- MPPT operating range (e.g. 60–115 V or 125–425 V). The string's Vmp on a hot afternoon (about 10% below datasheet) must stay inside it or the tracker cannot find the power point.
- Max input current per MPPT (e.g. 18–27 A). Parallel strings add current; two strings of 13 A panels are 26 A.
N_series_max = floor(V_max_PV ÷ (Voc × 1.05)) 1.05 for cool mornings at 15–20 °C
N_series_min = ceil(V_mppt_min ÷ (Vmp × 0.9)) 0.9 for hot afternoons
// 145 V budget unit, 550 W panel Voc 49.5 / Vmp 41.5: max 2 in series, min 2 → strings of 2, several in parallel
// 500 V hybrid, MPPT 125–425 V: max 9 in series, min 4 → one string of 8–9 per tracker
Budget 5 kVA units with a 145 V limit force many parallel strings of two panels, more cable and more combiner fuses. Higher-voltage trackers take a single string of 8–10 panels on thinner cable. Ask for the exact input limits before buying panels.
Sizing an inverter for your loads
Add the running watts of everything that will be on at the same moment (not everything you own), add 25% headroom, and check that the largest motor's starting watts fit within the surge rating. A home running a fridge, freezer, six fans, lights, TV and one 1.5 HP inverter AC at once draws about 2.4 kW; with headroom, 3 kW → a 5 kVA (4 kW) inverter. Add a second AC or a non-inverter AC and it is a 5 kVA unit at pf 1.0 or an 8 kVA.
kVA_needed = P_simultaneous × 1.25 ÷ 1000 ÷ power_factor
check: max starting watts ≤ surge rating, and ≤ battery max discharge × V_bank
| Loads on at once | Simultaneous W | Inverter | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lights, fans, TV, router, phones, laptop | ≈ 500 | 1–1.5 kVA | 12 V; fine for a room or shop |
| + fridge | ≈ 800 | 2.5 kVA | 24 V; fridge surge 400–600 W |
| + freezer, desktop, one 1 HP inverter AC (not with everything else) | ≈ 1,800 | 3.5 kVA | 24 V; AC only when other loads are trimmed |
| Whole 3-bed flat + one 1–1.5 HP inverter AC | ≈ 2,400 | 5 kVA | 48 V; the standard choice |
| + second AC or 1 HP pump | ≈ 3,800 | 8 kVA or 2 × 5 kVA parallel | 48 V; check battery discharge current |
| Large home, 3 ACs, pump, small office | ≈ 6,000 | 10 kVA | 48 V; three-phase where the supply is three-phase |
Features worth paying for
- Higher MPPT voltage (≥ 400 V) and two trackers: simpler strings, east/west roofs, cheaper cable.
- Battery communication (CAN/RS485) and a named lithium compatibility list.
- Parallel capability so a 5 kVA can become 10 kVA later without discarding the first unit.
- Generator input with auto-start and a configurable charge current, so the generator runs at a sensible load for a short time.
- WiFi monitoring that logs solar, battery and load per day; it is how you find out whether the system was sized right.
- Output priority settings (solar → battery → grid) and time-of-use charging.
- Documented efficiency (≥ 93% peak, and a low idle draw; a 5 kVA unit burning 60–80 W idle wastes 1.5–2 kWh a day).
Features that do not justify a premium: "pure sine wave" (every inverter above 1 kVA sold today is), large LCDs, and brand names without a datasheet. ZEUS does not sell or install equipment and has no commercial relationship with any brand or retailer named on this page.
Buying checklist
- Rated output in watts and the power factor used.
- Surge rating and duration; compare with your largest motor.
- Battery bus voltage, charger current, lithium profile or BMS protocol.
- Max PV input voltage, MPPT range, max input current, number of trackers.
- Peak efficiency and idle consumption.
- Parallel and generator-input support.
- Warranty length and who services it in Nigeria; ask where the repair centre is.
- Certification (IEC 62109 safety; CE marking alone is a self-declaration).
Solar arrays produce lethal DC voltages in daylight and cannot be switched off at the panel. Battery banks can deliver thousands of amps into a short circuit. Installation, wiring, earthing and commissioning must be done by a qualified installer or licensed electrician to the manufacturer's instructions and the Nigerian Electrical Installation Standards (IEC 60364-based). ZEUS explains how systems work so you can specify and check them, not so you can wire them yourself.
FAQ
How much is a 5kVA solar inverter in Nigeria?
₦420,000–₦750,000 for a 48 V hybrid with built-in MPPT (16 September 2026); ₦550k–₦900k for a dual-MPPT, high-voltage, parallel-capable unit from a Deye/Luxpower-class brand.
What can a 5kVA inverter carry?
About 4 kW continuous at power factor 0.8: a 3-bedroom flat's fridge, freezer, fans, lights, TV, laptops and one 1–1.5 HP inverter air conditioner at the same time. Not two non-inverter ACs, an electric cooker or a water heater.
Is 5kVA the same as 5kW?
Usually not. 5 kVA at power factor 0.8 is 4 kW. Some hybrids are rated at pf 1.0 and deliver 5 kW; the datasheet line "rated power (W)" settles it.
What is the difference between a hybrid and an off-grid inverter?
Both run loads from solar and battery and charge from the grid. A hybrid can also blend grid and solar, export where allowed, run loads from solar while the battery is full and the grid is off, and usually parallel with more units. For a Nigerian home with poor grid, either works; hybrids are the default at 5 kVA and up.
How many panels can I connect to a 5kVA inverter?
Set by the max PV input power (typically 5,000–6,500 W, so 9–11 × 550 W) and the MPPT voltage window, which fixes how many go in series. A 145 V budget unit takes strings of two; a 500 V hybrid takes one string of eight to nine. See MPPT input.
Which inverter brand is best in Nigeria?
ZEUS does not rank brands. Deye, Growatt, Luxpower, Solis, Felicity and PowMr all have datasheets and Nigerian service channels of varying depth; the spec lines above and the location of the repair centre matter more than the logo.
Sources
- Solar Energy Supply Stores — panel, battery and inverter price lists (25 Aug 2026) — solarenergysupplystores.com/solar-panel-price-in-nigeria
- Mercury Direct — 5kVA inverter guide, prices and batteries (2026) — mercurydirect.com.ng/5kva-inverter-guide-nigeria
- SolarDecide — 5kVA system cost breakdown, Lagos/Abuja dealers (Apr 2026) — solardecide.com/blog/5kva-solar-system-cost-nigeria-2026
- Kara.com.ng — 2026 solar price list (retailer blog) — blog.kara.com.ng/2026-solar-price-list-how-much-does-a-5kva-system-cost-in-nigeria-today
- PowMr Africa — Solar inverter prices in Nigeria 2026 (blocked automated fetch; ranges cross-checked via search snippets only) — af.powmr.com/blogs/news/solar-inverter-prices-in-nigeria-2026-find-the-best
- Manufacturer datasheets for 5 kVA/5 kW hybrid inverters (Deye SUN-5K-SG, Growatt SPF 5000 ES, Luxpower LXP 5K, Felicity IVGM5048) for pf, surge, MPPT range, charger current and BMS protocols