By Abbas Nazil
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has issued a strong warning against the widespread, unregulated installation of solar panels on rooftops across the country.
Professor Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the board, warned that the increasing trend of unprofessional solar panel installations poses serious safety hazards, including the risk of fire outbreaks.
In an interview with newsmen in Abuja, Professor Bugaje cautioned that a significant number of these installations are being carried out without adherence to proper engineering and safety standards.
He explained that during periods of peak solar radiation, the high electrical current running through improperly installed wires can cause them to heat excessively.
This overheating, he said, could lead to the melting of the wires or cause sparks that may ignite surrounding materials, potentially resulting in fire disasters.
“Many fires have happened because of that,” Bugaje stressed, emphasizing the urgent need for professionally supervised and regulated installations.
He criticized the current practice of placing solar panels at steep angles that match the slope of rooftops, noting that this reduces the panels’ efficiency in harnessing solar energy.
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The NBTE helmsman said most rooftops in Nigeria are angled between 60 to 70 degrees, which is far from optimal for solar collection.
For effective energy generation, he advised that panels should ideally be mounted at an angle of about 10 degrees, facing south, in alignment with Nigeria’s geographic location.
This recommendation, he explained, would ensure maximum exposure to sunlight, particularly in areas such as Abuja.
Professor Bugaje also highlighted the broader context of Nigeria’s energy challenges, lamenting the country’s severe energy poverty.
He pointed out that Nigeria, with a population of about 230 million people, depends on just 5,000 megawatts of electricity—resulting in a per capita energy availability that he described as “decimally low.”
This, he warned, significantly hinders industrialization and economic growth, especially when compared to countries like South Africa.
To address the dual challenges of unsafe installations and energy shortages, Bugaje revealed that the NBTE is reforming its technical education curriculum.
The National Diploma in Renewable Energy Engineering, Bugaje said, has been revised, and two new Higher National Diploma (HND) programs—one in photovoltaic (PV) and another in solar thermal engineering—have been introduced.
He said the programs aim to equip students with the specialized skills needed to ensure safe, efficient, and professionally managed renewable energy installations across the country.
