Almost half of Ghana’s population depends on the nation’s grid for electricity supply. Currently, Ghanaians are facing a power challenge that forces most individuals, homes and office owners to resort to alternative power sources including solar panels, generators and power inverters. In fact, NGO Code for Ghana estimates that the country loses between 2-6 percent of its GDP annual to electricity problems. A number of Ghanaians are not too familiar with this alternative source of power, Jumia House Ghana’s focus in today’s post.

Q: What are power inverters?

A: Power inverters are devices  that convert power in batteries, solar panels and wind turbines (direct current) to electrical power which can be used in home appliances (alternating current).

Power inverters come in different power capacities – as low as 100 watts and as high as 30000 watts (30kva). An inverter with  a capacity of 100 watts can power small television sets and charge mobile phones. The 30,000 watts inverters are huge and can power factories that use huge machineries.

Q: What are some of the advantages of using power inverters in a home?

A: They are so many reasons to consider power inverters which include the fact that

• They do not use fuel.

• They do not produce deadly carbon monoxide fumes.

• They do not generate noise.

• They can be kept inside your house without being stolen or destroyed by weather.
• They are safe to use around children.

Q: What is the process of acquiring a power inverter?

A: According to Eugene Ayeh Opoku Jnr of Lions and Eagles Ventures, a company that deals in the sales and installation of power inverters in Ghana, acquiring an inverter is a multistage process. “We normally ask home and office owners what appliances they will be using in case of power outages. We then calculate the total wattage they might need. Averagely, most homes will require a 2 kva power inverter which costs about 2700 cedis. If the person intends to use fridges and air-conditioners then they will require more batteries implying more charges.”

Q: How is a power inverter set up in a home?

A: “We set it up in a way that when there is power, it charges the batteries. When there is no power, you can either use a changeover switch or leave it on automatic mode depending on the preference of the customer,” he  added.

Q: How affordable are power inverters?

A: The price of an inverter depends on the kilovolt amp (kva). The price of an inverter ranges between 2700 cedis and 450,000. The running time of the battery depends on the number of batteries and appliances that are being used.  “A number of them are affordable but they aren’t of good quality. The cheaper ones do not last. The cheap ones which do not last are mostly flat and lightweight. They are made with transistors” Ayeh Opoku concluded.