This commercial rice mill in Keffi ran huskers, polishers, and dryers on diesel generators for most of the day. Nigeria's grid could supply only a fraction of the mill's demand, and diesel at scale cost $5,000–11,000 every month depending on throughput and fuel prices.
Rice processing is energy-intensive: drying alone consumes vast thermal and electrical energy. The mill's profitability moved with diesel prices. Ownership needed to lock in a predictable energy cost and cut the logistics burden of constant fuel procurement.
Mars Solar engineered a solar power system with battery energy storage that runs the mill's full processing load on solar through the day and discharges stored energy into the evening shift. The 430kWh LFP battery bank replaced diesel as the primary energy reserve.
| Solar PV Capacity | 200 kW |
|---|---|
| Battery Energy Storage | 430 kWh LFP |
| Inverters | Hybrid, 3-phase |
| System Type | Hybrid: grid + solar + battery |
| Diesel displacement | Primary energy source replaced |
| Installation | 10 days, Mars Solar engineers on-site |
Monthly diesel power costs dropped by $5,000–11,000 — averaging $8,000+ in savings. Payback was confirmed at 14 months using the mill's actual electricity and fuel bills. The mill now runs a predictable energy cost and has expanded to a second processing line using the surplus solar capacity.
| Monthly savings | $8,000+ (diesel cost avoided) |
|---|---|
| Annual savings | $96,000+ |
| Payback period | 14 months (confirmed by bills) |
| Diesel dependence | Eliminated as primary source |
| Capacity headroom | Second processing line added |
“The numbers Mars Solar promised are the numbers we see on our bills. We recovered the investment in 14 months.”
— Owner, Keffi Rice Mill
Rice mills are the clearest diesel-replacement case in West Africa: huskers, polishers and dryers run all day, and generator fuel dominates running cost. A solar system for rice mill duty is sized from your motor list and drying load, not from available roof area, and the battery is specified to carry the evening shift. At this Keffi mill the 430kWh LFP bank took over from diesel as the primary reserve, turning a $5,000–11,000 monthly fuel bill into an $8,000+ monthly saving with payback confirmed at 14 months. If you are costing a solar system for rice mill, send us your load profile and your latest electricity or fuel bills — we return a sized design, a landed quote and a payback model within 24 hours.
If your load is a mill, a feed plant or a cold room, a daytime-first design usually pays back faster than a general commercial system. Read How agro-processing sites size PV and battery around the daytime load — load profiles, 2026 cost ranges and the SONCAP import steps.
Free system design and ROI estimate within 24 hours — based on your actual electricity bills.