Emmanuel A. Ogujor

Many rural areas in Nigeria lack access to reliable electricity, making everyday tasks like mobile phone charging difficult. To address this issue, this project focuses on the design and development of a mobile solar charger that provides a sustainable, off-grid charging solution for remote communities. By harnessing solar energy, a clean and renewable resource, the system offers an eco-friendly alternative to conventional grid-based charging, enabling individuals to charge their phones without depending on unstable electricity infrastructure. The design process involved careful selection of components to ensure efficiency, durability, and high power output. The system integrates a solar panel, a Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) to optimize power extraction, a rechargeable battery for energy storage, and a synchronous buck converter to regulate the power supplied for charging. To enhance portability and durability, a custom enclosure was fabricated using iron angle bars and sheets, with cutting, welding, and assembling techniques used to create a lightweight but robust housing for the components. The final system can charge up to twenty mobile phones simultaneously, making it a highly efficient solution for rural areas with high demand for mobile power. By incorporating MPPT technology and efficient power conversion, the system ensures maximum energy utilization even in fluctuating sunlight conditions. This project provides a scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable solution to improve connectivity in underserved communities, empowering them with a reliable source of power for mobile communication.

The project involved detailed load analysis, component selection, and system configuration. The final design ensures a stable power supply with provisions for future scalability. This work demonstrates the practical application of electrical/electronic engineering principles in solvingreal-world energy challenges and contributes toward the goal of sustainable development. In this project, the design of a 300kW stand-alone power system for the faculty of Engineering, implementation of a 10kW inverter/battery system for the Dean’s office, LT1, LT2, LT3, LT4 and the faculty board room was carried out.