Solar Electricity Potentials for Some African Cities Figure 3: Solar Irradiation for Selected North African Cities from the Photovoltaic Geographic Information System and NASA 9,000 PVGIS
8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000
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assuming a small 100Wp stand-alone photovoltaic installation with a battery and battery charger, together with a performance ratio of 0.75, the power production ranges from about 300 to 600Wh/day in most locations in Africa and South West Asia, except in winter seasons in the extreme North and South. This energy is sufficient to drive three energy-efficient lights for six hours per day, three energy- efficient lights for four hours plus a radio or a pump to deliver 3,000 litres of water from a depth of 20 meters. Note that this calculation does not take into account possible losses due to saturation of the battery capacity.9,13
The information from this work will help the government in its rural energy planning framework and also serve as input data in the design of an appropriate photovoltaic electrification system for use in rural homes in Nigeria.9,14
Development of renewable energy utilisation vis-
à-vis solar radiation programmes must therefore start with a study of the solar energy available at the site or region of interest. It would be more desirable to use measured mean radiation data collected over a long period of time for each location in designing and sizing solar devices. At this point, however, long-term measurements of solar radiation, consisting mainly of solar radiation on a horizontal surface, exist for relatively few meteorological stations.4,15–21
Conclusion
PVGIS provides an interface to a geographical database and tools designed for the assessment of photovoltaic systems. The solar radiation data derived from satellite images and processed in geographic information systems open new horizons to a better understanding of
1.
Anonymous, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and WHO, 2009.
2. US Energy Information Administration, Available at:
www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/ page/solarreport/
solarpv.html (accessed 3 August 2010).
3. Chineke TC, Ezike FM, Energy Policy, 2010;38(1):678–84. 4. Chineke TC, Okoro UK, Renewable Energy, 2010;35(3):734–39.
5. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka B, available at:
http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/solar- power-for-the-poor/opinions/
africa-time-to-go-solar.html
6.
US Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-63B, Annual Photovoltaic Module/Cell Manufacturers Survey, EIA, 2009
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/ solarreport/
solarpv.html
7.
8. 9.
Tripoli Tunis
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time and spatial variability of the solar energy resource and the pathways of its exploitation for satisfying growing energy needs. From this analysis it can be seen that global solar radiation has high values in the dry season, particularly on clear and clean sky days, whereas its values are low during the cloudy and rainy season.
To enhance the developmental trend there is every need to support the existing, unreliable energy sector with a sustainable power source. Photovoltaic systems are now the lowest cost option for satisfying many of the electric energy needs of areas not served by distributed electricity, particularly in developing countries located in the tropics, where the amount of sunshine is generally high and rural household electricity dependence is comparatively low. There is a strong case for enhancing the unreliable energy sector in African settlements – where sunshine hours and solar radiation levels are high – with solar photovoltaic technology. Finally, this analysis could go a long way towards sustainable development in areas with high solar radiation, since there are enormous amounts of energy from the sun that could be harnessed to improve the standards of living of people in poor nations and in areas with standard ratings for agriculture, electricity, health, finances, income and employment.3,10,11,22
It is suggested that
such as those from PVGIS and NASA. This done, the solar electricity potential can be more accurately characterised and its utilisation for both electricity and solar thermal applications will help to ameliorate the lives of African citizens through employment generation and sustainable development.22
surface stations be established in various cities of Africa and worldwide to characterise the satellite-based and re-analyses data sets,21
n
Scharmer K, Greif J, Database Exploitation Software, Les Presses de l’ École des Mines, Paris, 2000.
Page J, Albuisson M, Wald L, Solar Energy, 2001;71:81–83.
Šúri M, Dunlop ED, Huld TA, Ossenbrink HA, In: Dunlop ED, Wald L, Suri M (Eds.), Solar Energy Resource Management for Electricity Generation from Local to Global Scale. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
11. Kuecken JA,Tab Books, 1979. 12. Chineke TC, Renewable Energy, 2008;33:827–31. 13. Chineke TC, Igwiro EC, African Journal of Science and Technology, 2008;9(1):102–08.
14. Moore T, EPRI Journal, 1987; Jan/Feb, pp 5-15. 15. Kuye A, Jagtap SS, International Journal of Climatology, 1994;14:815–25.
16. Oduro-Afriyie K, Renewable Energy, 1997;10(1):91–106. MODERN ENERGY REVIEW – VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2 23
17. Liu DL, Scott BJ, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 2001;106:41–59.
18. Akpabio LE, Etuk SE, Turk J Phys, 2003;27:161–7. 19. Chiemeka IU, International Journal of Physical Sciences, 2008;3:126–30.
20. Fortin JG, Anctil F, Parent L-E, et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 2008;148:1332–40.
21. Sabziparvar AA, Renewable Energy, 2008;33:1002–10. 22. Adeoti O, Oyewole BA, Adegboyega TD, Renewable Energy, 2001;24:155–61.
23. Beyer HG, Costanzo C, Heinmann D, Solar Energy, 1996;56:207–12.
24. Chineke TC, Okoro UK, Igwiro C, International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 2007;3(2):193–99.
9,000 NASA
Solar irradiation (Wh/m2
)
Solar irradiation (Wh/m2
)
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