Design of a 1kVA Smart Inverter for Office Energy-Backup with IoT-Based Monitoring in MTN Offices in Port Harcourt

The reliability of power supply remains a critical challenge in Nigeria, particularly for corporate offices such as MTN in Port Harcourt, where continuous operation of ICT facilities and customer service platforms depends on stable electricity. Conventional inverters have provided backup solutions, but their limitations in efficiency, monitoring, and maintenance create gaps in long-term reliability. This study focuses on the design and simulation of a 1kVA smart inverter with Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring to address these challenges. The proposed system comprises a 24V DC battery bank, sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) control, an H-bridge inverter stage, LC filter, and a step-up transformer. MATLAB/Simulink was used for modelling and performance evaluation of the inverter, including harmonic analysis, efficiency testing, and assessment of output waveform quality. Simulation results indicated that the system delivered a stable 220V AC sinusoidal output with total harmonic distortion (THD) reduced to acceptable IEEE standards. The inverter achieved peak efficiency of 88.7% at 700W loading conditions and maintained above 80% efficiency across varying loads. The integration of IoT-enabled sensors enabled real-time monitoring of voltage, current, and battery state of charge through a cloud-based dashboard, facilitating predictive maintenance and informed decision-making. The findings demonstrate that a smart inverter with IoT integration provides a sustainable and scalable solution for office energy-backup applications, supporting uninterrupted operations in environments with frequent grid outages.