METEOROLOGICAL DATA

Q1 Why is meteorological date important?

Meteorological data provides average weather condition (rainfall, temperature) of a

particular location at a particular time within a year. Meteorological data is very
important in soar PV installation. It gives the installer an overview of expected
challenges, which can significantly affect quality of work. Extended periods of rain,
cloud cover and dust are some of the elements that affect selection of PSH and days of
autonomy. Also, periods of high temperature which normally correspond to periods of
high energy consumption can be determined from meteorological data as such a robust
solar PV design can formulated and installed to ensure optimality.
For example, in a place like Katsina, an installer/supervisor will have to take into
consideration that dust will reduce the efficiency of his solar PV installation during
Harmattan. This may affect the DoD of the batteries at such periods. Compensations may
be made in the design of battery capacity.
In a place like Lagos where rain can fall continuously for days, the higher days of
autonomy most be selected to provide compensation.

SOLAR RESOURCE IN NIGERIA

Q2 What latitude coordinate is Nigeria within?

Q3 Or better yet, how far is Nigeria away from the equator in degrees?
Q4 Is Nigeria north or south of the equator?

Due to Nigerias geographic location (latitude 3N 10N), there is an abundance of

sunshine all year round. It is estimated that Nigeria receives 2,000 kWh/m2 from the sun
each year, which is more than enough to produce energy for all Nigerians.
Horizontal irradiance reaching Nigeria annually

Distribution of Solar Resource in Nigeria

Nigeria can be divided into five climatic regions:

Mangrove swamp
High rainforest
Guinea savannah
Sudan savannah
Sahel savannah
Figure 1.6: Climatic regions in Nigeria
Meteorological data for any location can be assessed from the following websites.
Katsina
Abuja
Lagos

Q5 in terms of solar PVs, the sun is the fuel. Is it fair to assume that the more sunlight we
have the more energy were produced? Explain your reason.

Q6 there is a lot of sunshine I Katsina has compared to lets say Lagos or Rivers. Will it
be a bad idea to station a large centralized solar power plant in Katsina or distributed
plants will be more efficient? Explain your reason.
APPLICATIONS FOR SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
Q7 what are the applications of PV systems?
Solar photovoltaic systems are used in a variety of applications. Some of the most
common examples are below.

STREET LIGHTING
The simplest and most common application of solar photovoltaic systems is the solar
streetlight. These systems are DC connected systems with storage.

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
Solar PV systems are used to provide electricity to rural communities with no previous
access to electricity. This could be in the form of a solar home system or as a mini-grid.

SOLAR HOME SYSTEMS

Solar systems for use in single homes are referred to as solar home systems (SHS). These
systems come in two basic forms:
Plug & play systems combine a battery, charge controller and power outlets in a single
enclosure, usually with sockets to connect pre-wired lamps. In mains power supply
systems, the solar system supplies electricity to the whole home through the main grid.

MINI-GRIDS
Mini-grids are large solar electric systems with one or several solar module arrays and
central battery storage. They are called mini-grids as they supply power to several
buildings via an AC transmission line. An example for this system type is the minigrid
system set up by Schneider Electric on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works
and Housing (Power) in Mpape, Abuja.

WATER PUMPING AND IRRIGATION

Solar photovoltaic systems are used to provide electricity for irrigation systems on farms.
These systems are usually DC-connected systems with or without storage.

POWER PLANTS
This is the fastest growing application field for solar energy. More and more countries are
including solar power plants in their energy mix. Nigeria has numerous solar power
plants planned, but none constructed as of April 2016.