A 1.5kVA solar/inverter system provides a useful reference point for businesses running lights, fans, computers, televisions, routers, phone chargers and other modest loads. An August 2026 Nigerian market survey puts a complete 1.5kVA system with a 2.4kWh battery and three 450W solar panels at about ₦1.39 million with tubular batteries, including installation. A lithium version is about ₦1.78 million.

The 1.5kVA system breaks down approximately as follows:

The same system with lithium storage costs approximately ₦1.78 million installed. Individual 450W panels are currently selling in Nigeria for roughly ₦95,000 to ₦120,000 in some market listings, although prices vary by brand and supplier.

Battery choice has a major effect on the final bill. A Mercury 220Ah tubular battery is listed at ₦295,000, while its 200Ah GEL battery is ₦383,000.

What the generator costs

A 2.5kVA petrol generator is a practical comparison for a business requiring similar basic loads. Current listings put models such as the Sumec Firman SPG3000E2 around ₦420,000 to ₦430,000, although prices vary by seller.

The bigger expense is fuel.

A small 2.5kVA petrol generator can consume about 0.8 litres per hour under typical operating conditions. At a petrol price of approximately ₦1,212 per litre reported on August 27, 2026, eight hours of operation requires about 6.4 litres, costing roughly ₦7,757 per day.

At 30 days, that is approximately ₦232,700 per month, or ₦2.79 million per year, before engine oil, servicing, repairs and generator replacement.

When does solar break even?

Using the ₦1.39 million installed tubular solar system against a generator costing about ₦430,000, the additional upfront investment is approximately ₦960,000.

At ₦232,700 in monthly generator fuel, the solar investment reaches its simple fuel-only break-even point in roughly 4.1 months.

For the ₦1.78 million lithium system, the additional investment is about ₦1.35 million, producing a simple fuel-only break-even period of roughly 5.8 months.

These calculations assume the solar system can supply the business's required eight hours without relying on petrol. They also exclude generator maintenance and solar battery replacement, so they should be treated as a fuel-cost comparison, not a full lifetime-cost analysis.

For a small business operating every day, the arithmetic is straightforward. A generator has a lower purchase price, but every hour of operation creates another fuel bill. Solar requires substantially more capital at the beginning, but once installed and correctly sized, its daily energy cost can be dramatically lower. The critical decision is therefore not simply the cheapest equipment to buy. It is whether the business can afford the upfront solar investment and whether its electrical load is small enough for a 1kVA to 2kVA system.