Almost every business in Nigeria runs on more than one source of power: the grid, a generator, and increasingly solar and batteries. The changeover is the equipment that decides which source feeds your building, and it's one of the most important pieces of switchgear you own.
What a changeover actually does
A changeover connects your building to one source at a time. Its most important job is making sure two sources are never connected together. A generator feeding back into the grid can damage equipment. It can also endanger line workers who believe the network is switched off.
Manual changeover
With a manual changeover, someone has to notice the outage, start the generator, let it settle, and move the switch. When the grid returns, they do it all again in reverse.
- Lower cost and simple to maintain.
- Every outage means a gap in supply while someone reacts, longer at night or at weekends.
- Depends on people following the right sequence every time.
Automatic transfer switch (ATS)
An automatic transfer switch watches the incoming supply. When it fails, the ATS signals the generator to start, waits until its voltage and frequency are stable, then transfers the load. When the grid is back and steady, it transfers back and lets the generator cool down before stopping.
- Outages are handled in seconds, with nobody on site.
- Consistent, interlocked switching that can't connect two sources together.
- Costs more, and the generator needs an auto-start controller.
How to choose
- Do you have loads that must not stop, such as servers, cold rooms, production lines or medical equipment? Choose automatic.
- Is the site staffed around the clock by someone trained to switch over safely? Manual can work for non-critical loads.
- Can your generator start automatically? If not, an ATS upgrade usually includes the generator controller.
- Adding solar and batteries? Plan the changeover and the hybrid inverter together so the sources work in the right order.
Many sites use both: automatic changeover for critical circuits and manual switching for everything else. A site survey shows which circuits belong where.