Development of a 12-V Hybrid Powered Rechargeable Lighting System with Intruder Detection and Mobile Phone Charging Units

The availability of stable, reliable, and low-cost electricity is one of the key indices for measuring the socioeconomic growth of any nation globally. However, in a developing economy such as Nigeria, marred by insufficient electricity generation, load shedding, and frequent power outage are common occurrences hindering some basic domestic functions, including lighting and charging, among others, to be performed. Therefore, an alternative solution that can serve as a backup for the conventional electricity supply system becomes imperative. This work developed a 12-V hybrid-powered rechargeable lighting system with intruder detection and USB ports for mobile phone charging. The basic components used in the system development are Arduino Nano (ATMega328) microcontroller, GSM (SIM900D) module, Passive Infra-Red (PIR) sensors, light bulbs, mini 12 V lead-acid battery, and 12 V, 20 W solar panel. Using relevant design equations, circuit designs and data processing were implemented around the ATMega328 microcontroller. The developed system was tested, and the output voltages of the lighting and charging units and the functionality of the intruder detection unit were determined. The developed hybrid-powered rechargeable lighting system operated satisfactorily during testing. The lighting and charging units were functional, giving 12 and 5 V output voltages, respectively. The intruder detection unit was active, producing a buzzing sound and sending an SMS alert to the registered phone number on the detection of an intrusion. The developed system is useful for domestic and other similar applications.