Let there be light!

After the last post I made, I was hoping to finish the next project in a day, but unfortunately, a lot of things happened that couldn't allow me to finish the work as I had expected.

Rain rain go away...

First, the day started with heavy rain that lasted about an hour, but I was determined to proceed.

Side view

Front view

When it stopped, I headed to the site, which was a new bakery that would become the largest in Uyo and Akwa Ibom state as a whole. The place is still under construction.

I worked on this particular project based on my client specifications. It was a little bit hard to contribute my idea since they preferred to stick to their existing design, which is used in their 40 locations in Nigeria and 10 in Ghana.

This design uniformity meant that all measurements and equipment were standardized across all their locations. A unique style per se

Sadly, there could be some adjustments which might cost them more expenses if they don't consider some factors from professionals like me 🤷‍♂️.

In terms of measurements, the galvanized pipes I used on the fence were 3-feet each.

Details

👉Phase : 2
👉 Light: 1000w all-in-one AKT solar light

👉Locations : Ikot Aka Idem, Ibiono Ibom, Akwa Ibom state-Nigeria.

👉Contractor: Steem solar & electricals

👉Unit: 50
👉 Base: Fence pillars
👉Durations while in use: 15-20 hours

The installation process

The installation process involved several steps which includes the following:

Hit that hard!!

Step 1: I first chiselled the fence pillars about 1-foot each - where I would bury the bases of the pipes as my base.

All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy

This process took me a full day to accomplish. And some parts, I finished up the following day.

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Sand, Cement and gravels

I did the job of a mason

Step 2: I mixed the cement, sand, and gravels, which I would use for the casting of the pipes.

Water was added after extensive mixer

At this point, the cement was more than the sand in terms of quantity in the mixing process,this is to give a better solidification.

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Step 3: Next was fixing the light's hanger on the solar light's body using an Allen key(10mm), which took over 2 hours.

This is my passion

Step 4: At this point, I started mounting the lights on each pipe. I ensured placing the solar panel side of the light(the back) directly to the sunlight direction for effective charging.

At some point, I had to use a scaffold when the height was above normal electrical ladder.

Fixing the entire lights took me almost 8 hours, but it was successful.

And the work is done

I waited at the site till night time to test-run the lights.

Observations

Upon testing the lights at night, I observed that the illumination wasn't sufficient due to the short pole height (3 feet). I had initially suggested using taller poles, but my client preferred to stick to their standard design.

It is worth noting that solar lights cover a wider range when the pole is higher. That means the higher the pole, depending on the size of the light, the wider the range it covers.

Despite this little observation, the truth is that the entire site was still illuminated, albeit not as effectively as it could have been with taller poles, trust me. It might be a little challenging for some non- solar installers to have noticed this.

Interestingly, my client have seen the effect of using a short pole and has realized the importance of using taller poles as I had suggested earlier. They confirmed that it was actually a wrong choice from them to insist on using 3 feet pole.

New plan

As of the time I was writing this post last night, I got a call from my client that I would have to re-work some certain units again.

This means I would have to increase the height of the pole to about 8 feet from the base, as I had already suggested even before I started this project.

This will involve new fabrication, reinstallation, and additional payment. It's absolutely not my fault , is it ?🙂🤷‍♂️

While this could have been avoided if my initial suggestion was taken, I'm willing to accommodate the changes in the coming week…

I hope this information can help future clients to allow professionals to use their professionalism in their field for effective and positive results.

At the end, everything worked well and again I am proud of my job with full passion.

Talking about skills, are you aware that my niece of less than 2 years is now a "mini Chef "?

Check it out here Mini Chef. Check the post and watch her video. I am proud of her too.