Top 10 Solar Inverters Nigerians Regret Buying — Must Read Before You Buy

If you’re planning to install solar or upgrade your inverter, this guide may save you hundreds of thousands of naira.

Every day, Nigerians complain:

• “My inverter trips off at night.”
• “This inverter can’t carry load.”
• “It lasted only 8 months!”
• “The installer deceived me.”

The sad truth is the market is flooded with low-quality and fake inverters.

This article exposes the Top 10 solar inverters Nigerians regret buying, based on:

• Field experience
• Customer reviews
• Warranty claims
• Failure rate
• Fake market saturation
• Poor load handling

Let’s get into it.

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1. Generic “No-Name” Chinese Inverters

These are the ones labeled:

• Solar Power Inverter
• Power Star
• Pure Sine Wave 1kVA
• Blue/Yellow/Black unbranded boxes

No brand name. No model. No warranty.
Just noise.

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• Not truly pure sine wave
• Overheats easily
• Shuts down under small load
• No proper support

❗Verdict:

Total waste of money.

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2. Luminous Imitations (Fake Nigeria Market)

Original Luminous is good.
But Nigeria is flooded with fake Luminous that:

• Drain batteries
• Overheat
• Trip unnecessarily

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• Nearly identical packaging to the original
• Fake boards inside
• Lasts 3–9 months

❗Verdict

If you didn’t buy from an authorized dealer, you likely bought a fake.

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3. Sukam (Old Stock Resurrected)

Sukam is no longer in business, but some people still sell old units.

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• Expired MOSFETs
• Batteries won’t charge properly
• Board failures
• No parts for repair

❗Verdict

Avoid completely — the company is gone.

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4. Prag (Low Cost, Low Quality)

Prag sells cheap inverters, but cheap comes at a cost.

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• Cannot carry stated kVA load
• Weak chargers
• Fan noise
• Low lifespan

❗Verdict

Only suitable for very small loads.

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5. Mercury (The Troublesome 1.5kVA & 2kVA Series)

Mercury has some good models, but the lower-kVA line is notorious.

❌ Common Complaints

• Board burns easily
• Not true pure sine wave
• Trips under small appliances
• Poor customer support

❗Verdict

Avoid the low-end Mercury models.
The high-end models are better.

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6. FelixInverter / Nigeria-Assembled “Local Brands”

Some local brands assemble inverters from cheap Chinese boards.

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• No proper testing
• Massive failure rate
• Unstable charging
• Very noisy fan
• Exaggerated kVA ratings

❗Verdict

Not recommended unless from a reputable manufacturer.

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7. Mecer (Low Budget Models)

Mecer UPS-style inverters are not built for solar loads.

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• Poor voltage regulation
• Not compatible with heavy batteries
• Struggles with inductive load
• Overheating

❗Verdict

Not meant for long-term solar use.

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8. Blue Gate Inverters

Blue Gate is mostly a UPS brand, not a true solar inverter brand.

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• Very weak transformers
• Trips easily
• Not solar-friendly
• Cannot handle 24/7 usage

❗Verdict

Only good for computer backup, not solar homes.

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9. Sumec Firman Inverters

Firman generators are good — but their inverters? Weak.

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• Not pure sine wave
• Not solar-dedicated
• Poor load response
• No firmware updates

❗Verdict

The brand is better at generators, not inverters.

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10. Unbranded “Hybrid” 3-in-1 Inverters

These are labeled:

• Solar Hybrid Inverter
• MPPT Inverter 5.5kVA
• New Generation Solar Inverter

But they are actually cheap knockoffs pretending to be like Deye or Growatt.

❌ Why Nigerians Regret Buying It

• Fake MPPT
• Fake 5.5kVA rating
• Cannot charge lithium properly
• Frequent PCB failures

❗Verdict

Avoid at all costs — they are famous for lying about specs.

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How to Make Sure You Never Buy a Bad Inverter Again

Here are proven tips to protect your money:

✔ Buy from authorized dealers

Not roadside shops.

✔ Do a proper solar sizing before buying

Most people overload their inverter.
Use the Globisun Solar App to calculate accurate sizing:
👉 <a href=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.globalnet.globisun&pcampaignid=web_share” target=”_blank”>Download Globisun Solar Sizing App</a>

✔ Check battery compatibility

Not all inverters support lithium.

✔ Avoid “too cheap to be true”

If it’s too cheap, it’s likely fake.

✔ Research the brand’s history

Not all brands have local support or parts.

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So Which Inverters Are Actually Good?

Here are the trusted brands with strong performance in Nigeria:

• Deye
• Growatt
• Victron
• Must (Original)
• Felton
• Solarmax (Original)
• Mercury Elite Series
• Eastman (High-end)