What Size Inverter Do I Need? A Nigerian Guide

Choosing the wrong inverter size is one of the most expensive mistakes Nigerian solar buyers make. Too small, and your system struggles or shuts off unexpectedly. Too large, and you've spent unnecessarily on capacity you'll never use. This guide uses the same appliance wattages and sizing formula as our calculator, so the number you land on here is the number the calculator would give you too.

What is kVA and why does it matter?

Inverter capacity is measured in kVA (kilovolt-amperes). Think of it as the "engine size" of your solar system — it determines how much load (appliances) the system can handle at once.

A common mistake is confusing kVA with kW (kilowatts). Our calculator, and installers generally, add a 25% headroom on top of your kW load before rounding up to a standard inverter size — the working is below.

Step 1: List everything you want to power

Be honest with yourself here. Write down every appliance you want to run simultaneously during a power outage. This is your peak load.

Step 2: Add up your total load

Example: a typical 3-bedroom Lagos home running 1 AC (1.5HP), 1 fridge, 1 freezer, 2 ceiling fans, 2 TVs (32") and 8 LED lights — the same appliance list our calculator would size:

Step 3: Add a safety buffer

Inverters should never run at 100% capacity for extended periods — it damages them and shortens their lifespan. The calculator adds 25% headroom to the full peak load: 1990W × 1.25 = 2488W (2.49kW), which (after also checking the AC's motor-starting surge) rounds up to a 2.5kVA inverter for this exact load.

Price by size: what a real load on that inverter costs

Rather than a generic price band, here is the inverter-only price for four real loads from our sizing guides — each one a representative appliance list that actually lands on that inverter size, priced from Nigerian vendor listings as of September 2026.

Prices are for the inverter alone, at the Standard-tier brand for each size — see each sizing page for the full itemised build including battery, panels and labour.

Should I go hybrid or off-grid?

Hybrid inverters work with both solar panels and the grid (NEPA). When NEPA is available, it charges your batteries. When it's out, solar takes over. This is the most popular choice in Lagos and Abuja where NEPA is unreliable but present, and it is what our calculator quotes by default.

Off-grid inverters work entirely from solar and batteries — no grid connection at all. This is better for remote locations where NEPA doesn't reach, or for customers who want total energy independence.

Brands by tier

The brands our calculator actually quotes, grouped by the same budget / mid / premium tiers used in the price table above:

• Budget — Felicity, Sako, SRNE, Yohako
• Mid — Growatt, Luxpower, Must, Solis
• Premium — Deye, Victron

Current vendor prices for each brand are on our brands page.

What about batteries?

Your inverter capacity must match your battery bank. Our calculator quotes lithium (LiFePO4) in standard 5.12kWh modules by default — lithium lasts 10+ years against 2–4 years for lead-acid tubular, and can be discharged much deeper, so it is what we recommend unless you already have a tubular bank and are only replacing part of it. How many modules a given inverter size needs depends on how many hours of backup you want — worked out on each of the sizing pages linked above.