Modification, Construction and Performance Evaluation of 1500w Solar Inverter Power Pack for Science and Technical College Electronic Workshop

A 1500W solar inverter power pack with direct current (DC) variable power supply was modified and locally fabricated using solar panels, deep cycle batteries, charge controller, 1500W inverter transformer, charging unit transformer, metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs), oscillator unit and DC variable power supply unit which are commonly available in the market. The study was carried out to solve the problem of unsteady power supply in Science and Technical Colleges in Benue State given that the colleges depend on steady power supply in producing the desired skilled technical craftsmen. Five research objectives guided the study. Research and development design was adopted. Mean and regression linear graphs were used to answer four research objectives while the fifth objective was analyzed using t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The device was tested for performance efficiency on no-load and on-load. Result showed a mean efficiency of 92.40% and 81.74% for no-load and on-load respectively which have met the baseline efficiency of 75%. DC variable power supply result showed that 10KΩ potentiometer varies voltages between 6V and 12V and current between 0.60mA and 3.00mA. Findings showed that 1500W solar inverter power pack is highly efficient on minimum load. Based on the achievement of the purpose and result findings, the study concludes that it is possible to modify and locally fabricate a 1500W solar inverter power pack that can provide alternative energy for powering electronic workshops in Science and Technical Colleges.