THE IMPERATIVE OF INCOORPORATING PASSIVE SOLAR COOLING, PHOTOVOLTAIC LIGHTING AND ENERGY SAVING LIGHTING BULBS TO THE HOUSING POLICY IN NIGERIA

Solving the energy problem in Nigeria has remained a puzzle. Applications of proven technology with reasonable policy shift in our housing policy will go a long way in ensuring more availability of energy for desired purposes. This paper explored the introduction of passive solar cooling, photovoltaic (PV) lighting and energy saving lighting bulbs in houses costing over twenty million naira as a national housing policy. It presented the erection of energy efficient building as a great strategy for reducing energy consumption in households thus making surplus energy available for greater populace. Solar passive cooling is hereby presented as a pure structural and mechanical issue compared to the generally used electromechanical cooling system. This implies that there will be no energy demand from the utility power source. The photovoltaic lighting coupled with energy saving lighting devices on the other hand utilizes solar cells to tap energy from the sun and stored same in an accumulator for house illumination in the night. The effective implication of having both house cooling and lighting energized from other sources rather than the insufficient and presently unreliable power supply is hereby presented as a means of solving major household energy requirement as well as making the national grid more available for other uses.