Two quotes for a “5kVA” system land on your WhatsApp. One lists 6 panels, the other lists 16, and the two published packages behind them sit about N1.7 million apart. If you have typed “how many solar panels for 5kva inverter” into Google while the gen was roaring outside, this is the confusion you were trying to clear.
The short answer: the inverter does not decide the panel count. Your appliances, your battery and your city do. This guide walks through the sums so you can read a quote and ask better questions.
If you would rather go straight to comparing offers, send your location and appliance list through the quote form. Independent Nigerian solar installers will survey your place, quote and contract with you directly.
What a 5kVA Inverter Really Delivers
kVA is apparent power. The power your appliances actually use is measured in kW, and real power equals apparent power times the power factor (Fuji Electric). So a 5 kVA inverter at a power factor of 0.8 carries 4 kW of real load. The inverter’s own datasheet states the kW figure, so read that and not the sticker on the box.
Sellers are loose with the label. In October 2026 Mercury Direct listed a 5.5 kVA hybrid inverter and sold the package under the name “5kVA”. Nothing wrong with that, but it is a good reason to ask for the exact model on every quote.
Think of the system as three separate sizes. The inverter sets the most you can run at one moment. The panels decide how much energy you collect in a day. The battery decides how much of it you can use after sunset.
How Many Solar Panels for a 5kVA Inverter
Start from what sellers actually list. In October 2026, Sun King’s PowerHub Pro (5 kVA) was listed with 6 to 12 panels of 450 W, which is 2.7 to 5.4 kW of panels. Mercury Direct paired its 5.5 kVA hybrid with 16 panels of 450 W (7.2 kW). SMK Solar paired an 8.5 kVA hybrid with 10 panels of 590 W (5.9 kW), and itel listed a 6 kW hybrid with 12 panels of 620 W (7.44 kW).
So the listed range runs from about 2.7 kW to 7.4 kW of panels behind a 5kVA-class inverter. There is no single correct number inside that range. Two things narrow it down for your house.
First, the peak. If the inverter carries 4 kW of real load, then 4,000 W divided by 450 W is about 9 panels to cover that peak at full label rating. Panels seldom hit their label rating, though. The PVGIS model below assumes 14% system losses, before dust.
Second, the daily energy. PVGIS-SARAH2 (2005 to 2020, 10 degree tilt facing south) models how many kWh each 1 kW of panels makes on an average day:
- Abuja 4.20, Enugu 3.96, Ibadan 3.87, Lagos 3.83, Benin City 3.78, Port Harcourt 3.48.
Here is the working for a 7.2 kW array (16 x 450 W) in Lagos: 7.2 x 3.83 is about 27.6 kWh on an average day, and 7.2 x 2.89 is about 20.8 kWh on an average July day. In Port Harcourt the same array averages 7.2 x 3.48, about 25.1 kWh. These are model figures, not promises for your roof.
Modelled output is roughly 37 to 48 percent higher in the dry months than in the rainy months (derived from the PVGIS monthly means). If you run most of your load in July, size for July, not February. You can run your own location through the PVGIS tool.
Harmattan dust
Dust takes more off the top. A field test in Maiduguri (Abdulkarim and colleagues, 2022) found more than 50% loss in power output in under 14 days of continuous dust deposition. A dry-season test in Calabar (Oyom and colleagues, 2023) found dust cut the sunlight reaching the panel by 21.1%.
Those are worst cases. No measured soiling figure exists for Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Benin City or Enugu, so nobody can give you a typical harmattan loss there. Ask the installer how the panels will be cleaned, and by whom.
How Many Batteries a 5kVA Inverter Needs
Count kWh, not batteries. A 12 V 220Ah tubular battery holds 12 x 220 = 2,640 Wh, so four of them make 10,560 Wh on the label. The usable amount is lower, and the datasheet for your exact battery should state it.
The comparison below uses single-seller shop prices from 14 October 2026. Mercury Direct listed a Mercury Elite 220Ah tall tubular at N260,000, so four come to N1,040,000. The same seller listed a 10 kWh lithium (LiFePO4) battery at N2,350,000, and SMK listed one at N1,950,000. For 5 kWh, Mercury listed N1,150,000 and SMK N1,200,000.
Tubular is cheaper on day one. The case for lithium is cycles and usable depth. The Felicity LPBF48100-A manual (51.2 V, 5 kWh) states 6,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge and warranty of 5 years. The Luminous LPT 1240H tubular page states up to 1,500 cycles at 80%. That is four times the cycles on each maker’s own test conditions, and it is manufacturer-stated, not tested by this site. BusinessDay (February 2026) says lead-acid batteries last only three to five years.
Read the full lithium versus tubular comparison before you choose. Also check that the battery voltage matches the inverter. A 51.2 V lithium battery will not drop in where two 12 V tubulars sat on a 24 V inverter, and the installer must confirm that the inverter accepts lithium at all.
Example (an anonymised illustration, not a real customer): a Gwarinpa flat has a 2018 inverter and two tubular batteries that are flat by 2am. Two Mercury Elite 220Ah units at N260,000 each cost N520,000 to replace, and tubulars last three to five years. A 5 kWh lithium battery listed at N1,150,000 to N1,200,000 costs more than twice that. Abuja has the best solar resource of the six cities, so the batteries are the weak link here, and the old inverter may not suit lithium.
What a 5kVA Solar System Will and Will Not Power
Take the appliance numbers manufacturers publish. LG lists a 1 HP-class split AC (9,000 BTU inverter) at 1,000 W rated cooling input, and a 1.5 HP-class (12,000 BTU inverter) at 1,090 W rated and 1,350 W maximum. On paper, two 1.5 HP units at their maximum draw 2 x 1,350 = 2,700 W. That leaves about 1.3 kW of a 4 kW inverter for lights, TV and the rest. A third AC at maximum draw would push the total over the limit.
Then comes the battery. One 1 HP AC at 1,000 W for 6 hours is 6 kWh, which already beats a 5 kWh battery. Two 1.5 HP units at rated input draw 2.18 kW together, so a 10 kWh battery would last about 4.6 hours on paper, with nothing else in the house running and before any losses.
Fans, TVs, freezers, fridges and pumping machines depend on the exact model, and this guide does not publish wattages for them. An installer should do a load audit from the rating plates on your own appliances. A pumping machine or a freezer compressor also draws more at start-up than when it is running, so the inverter’s surge rating matters. If you want the pumping machine on solar, ask for that figure in writing.
A portable “solar generator” is a different product. The itel Power Tank 1000 (1,000 W output, 2,000 Wh lithium) was listed at N629,200 in October 2026. It suits light loads, not a fridge, pumping machine or AC. See solar generator versus inverter system.
Example (anonymised illustration): a 4-bedroom duplex in Lekki runs a petrol gen every evening for about 5 hours. Take a gen that burns about 1.25 litres an hour, the figure a retailer gives for the Sumec Firman ECO4990ES at half load. With Lagos petrol at N1,400 a litre (Vanguard, 10 to 11 October 2026), that is 1.25 x 5 x N1,400 = N8,750 a day, or about N262,500 over 30 days. This is an illustration at mid-October 2026 pump prices, not a forecast.
A 12-panel 450 W array (5.4 kW) in Lagos averages about 20.7 kWh a day (5.4 x 3.83) and about 15.6 kWh on a July day (5.4 x 2.89). The evening is where the battery matters. If the rating plates add up to about 2 kW, five hours is 10 kWh, which is a whole 10 kWh battery with nothing spare. Cloudy days and long evenings can still send you back to the gen, so do not plan as if it will never run again.
Example (anonymised illustration): a pharmacy in Rumuola, Port Harcourt, opens in the morning, closes in the evening and pays for diesel daily. NBS put the average diesel price at N3,277.47 a litre in May 2026. Most of its load is in daylight, so the panels feed the shop directly and the battery matters less than it does for a home. A 16-panel 450 W array (7.2 kW) averages about 25.1 kWh a day there (7.2 x 3.48) and about 18.1 kWh in July (7.2 x 2.52). Anything that must stay cold overnight needs its own night plan from the installer.
What Sellers Listed for 5kVA-Class Systems in October 2026
The table shows complete packages with panels. Each row is one seller’s published listing from 14 October 2026, shown as the source of a figure and not as a recommendation. Packages differ in battery size, panel count and what installation covers, so compare like with like.
| Seller (listing) | Inverter | Battery | Panels | Listed price | Installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun King PowerHub Pro | 5 kVA | 5 to 10 kWh LFP | 6 to 12 x 450 W | N3,799,500 | Included, per the seller |
| SMK Solar | 8.5 kVA hybrid | 10 kWh lithium | 10 x 590 W | N5,059,000 | Installation and Lagos delivery included |
| itel Solar | 6 kW hybrid | 16 kWh lithium | 12 x 620 W | N5,233,900 | Not stated on the listing |
| Mercury Direct | 5.5 kVA hybrid (sold as “5kVA”) | 10 kWh LiFePO4 | 16 x 450 W | N5,538,000 | Included, per the seller |
Sun King also lists the PowerHub Pro at N190,650 down and N76,100 a week for 80 weeks. That is N190,650 + 80 x N76,100 = N6,278,650 in total, about 1.65 times the upfront price.
BusinessDay (17 February 2026) put 5 to 8 kVA systems at N3.5 to N5.5 million and said professional installation alone runs N150,000 to N800,000. SustifyHomes, a quote marketplace, listed a 5 kVA hybrid with 10 kWh lithium at N3.5 to N6 million in August 2026. These are separate sources, so do not blend them into one “average”.
Naira prices move with the exchange rate. Mobility.com.ng (June 2026) noted that a panel priced at N120,000 can reach N140,000 a month later because of currency changes. The real number is the current written quote. For more on panel prices, read solar panel price in Nigeria, or see what a whole system costs.
How to Get Quotes You Can Compare
Ask each installer to write the same things down: the exact inverter model and its kW rating, the battery model with its usable kWh, and the panel wattage and count. Ask what the price includes (cables, mounting, breakers, surge protection, delivery, labour) and the warranty terms for each part. Ask for the VAT treatment to be shown on the quote, and keep your receipts.
Check the person, not just the price. NEMSA guidelines, as reported in April 2026, say rooftop solar must be installed only by NEMSA-certified electrical contractors. The reported checklist includes a competency certificate on site, a load assessment first, isolators, surge protection, earthing, ventilated batteries kept away from living areas, and a battery management system on lithium. You can look an installer up in the NEMSA directory of certified electrical contractors.
Counterfeits are a real worry. Industry experts quoted by NAN in July 2026 said fake batteries and inverters are the biggest fire risk. That is an industry view, not a regulator warning, but it is a good reason to check serial numbers, QR codes and warranty papers, and to buy from authorised dealers.
Fitting a system means a qualified installer on site, work on your distribution board (DB) and changeover, and usually a short outage. Nothing here is a how-to.
This site is advertising for independent Nigerian solar installers. It does not install, sell or certify anything. To start, use the quote form and ask for two or three comparable written quotes. Or call +234 809 000 0000. For background, read about home solar installation and inverter and battery installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a 5kVA inverter run a 1.5 HP AC?
On paper, yes. LG lists a 12,000 BTU inverter AC at 1,090 W rated and 1,350 W maximum, and a 5 kVA inverter at 0.8 power factor carries 4 kW. Check the surge rating with the installer, and remember the battery limits how long it runs at night.
Is a 10 kWh lithium battery enough for a whole night?
It depends on what you run. One 1 HP AC at its 1,000 W rated input uses 6 kWh in 6 hours, and two 1.5 HP units at rated input would use up 10 kWh in about 4.6 hours on paper. A load audit from your own rating plates gives the real answer.
Can I add more panels to a 5kVA system later?
Sometimes. An inverter can accept only so much panel power, and the limit is on its datasheet (the maximum PV input). Ask the installer for that figure before you buy, and have any expansion done by a qualified person.
Can I sell extra power back to the grid?
Not at home scale. NERC’s Net Billing Regulations 2026 start at a renewable system of 50 kWp, need DisCo approval and a bidirectional meter, and the export tariff is still to be set. A home system is far below that size, so plan the system for your own use.