Firm partners solar installers to provide affordable solution to Nigeria’s power crisis
As the power crisis in Nigeria shows no sign of improvement, a renewable energy company and strategic partner of LONGi, WERAN Solar Co., Ltd, Shanghai, has partnered with Nigerian solar system installers, unveiling different size of affordable inverter to help tackle the country energy crisis.
Speaking recently at an installers’ training and partnership forum held in Lagos, Deputy Managing Director of WERAN Africa, Pepper Guo, said the firms inverter products were affordable and was a long-term investment for households and businesses struggling with power shortages.
Guo stated that the company viewed Nigeria as a key hub for its African operations, which necessitated it investment by setting up branches in some states.
“We did not come to Nigeria for a short-term market. We came because we see the potential of this country and want long-term development here.
“Our goal is to build partnerships, share the future together, and provide quality solar solutions that Nigerians can rely on,” Guo said.
Marketing Manager Ngoziukwu Livingstone, who spoke on behalf of the company, stated that the event was necessary for the installers to be able to distinguish the company products, especially, knowing which is high-quality and low-quality solar panels in the market.
” One of the reason of organising this event, is to teach them how to identify original products, understand efficiency standards, and meet us directly to ask questions”, he said.
One of the highlights of the training was WERAN’s authentication system, which allows installers to scan a code at the back of each solar panel to confirm its originality.
The event which was well-attended brought together solar installers from across Lagos State and Nigeria
to educate them on the latest photovoltaic technologies and address challenges in differentiating genuine solar products from fake or substandard ones flooding the market.
Also speaking at the event, especially on the rise in cost of Inverter and panel in recent years, WERAN’s Sales Director, Quasim Lawal, disagreed with perceptions that prices had risen over the last few years.
According to him, contrary to public belief, solar prices have not significantly increased. Since President Bola Tinubu’s administration removed certain import duties on solar raw materials, more companies are entering the market.
” I think the difference lies in premium products, which naturally cost more than mass-market alternatives,” he said.
The sales Director, equally called for stronger government policies to regulate the industry, likening the need for a solar regulatory body to the role of NAFDAC in the pharmaceutical sector.
“There is no effective regulation for solar products in Nigeria. Many fake and adulterated products enter the market because there is no strict quality control. This makes it hard for sincere firms like us to compete,” he said.
To address affordability challenges, he revealed that while it operates on a business-to-business model, Nigerian banks such as Sterling, Wema, and Fidelity now offer renewable energy financing packages, enabling households to access loans to pay for solar installations in instalments.
Speaking on what distinguish WERAN’s panels with others in the market, Lawal stressed that the firm’s premium 610W HPVC panels, produced in collaboration with LONGi, are being sold at a discounted rate of N120,000 per panel, far lower than the international market price of N150,000.
“We have also partnered with global inverter and battery manufacturers, including Deye and Lithium Valley, to ensure durability and complement the quality of its panels.”
Despite successive government efforts and investment Nigeria energy crisis has persisted for decades, with many Nigerian and businesses relaying on generators or other alternatives.
About half of the population have no access to power, making demand for
renewable energy rising daily.
However, many Nigerians can’t afford especially since the advent of the current administration which initiated reforms which has push more Nigerians into poverty.
Since its establishment in 2015, WERAN has expanded rapidly across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Its Nigerian subsidiary, set up in 2024 in partnership with Rayonannce Energy FZE, runs a warehouse in the Lekki Free Trade Zone to serve the West African market.
With the Federal Government targeting renewable energy to power millions of homes by 2030, stakeholders believe that partnerships between global companies like WERAN and local installers will play a critical role in bridging Nigeria’s energy gap.
