Study of the solar energy potential in the City of Mamou (Republic of Guinea)
- African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology , 20 (2) : 61-71
Résumé
The Republic of Guinea, like other intertropical countries, receives significant levels of global solar irradiance. However, accurate quantification of local solar energy potential is essential for its optimal utilization. In this study, the solar energy potential of the City of Mamou (Republic of Guinea) was assessed using three methods for acquiring global solar irradiance: In-situ measurements using a solarimeter (VICI Ix-107) and a pyranometer (BGT-HJX-TF), an empirical mathematical model, and satellite-based data obtained from the NASA POWER platform. The results indicated that the empirical model substantially overestimated global solar irradiance and failed to adequately capture seasonal variations. In contrast, the in-situ measurements obtained with the pyranometer showed a strong correlation with the NASA POWER data (R = 0.97). The linear regression model established between the measured data and the NASA POWER estimates revealed no overall bias (MBE = 0) and demonstrated very good performance, with a normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) of 5% and a normalized mean absolute error (nMAE) of 4%. Because continuous on-site measurements were not available for the entire year, NASA POWER data were used to analyze the monthly and annual distributions of solar energy potential at the study site. On average, monthly solar energy ranged from 4.5 ± 1 kWh/m²/day in
August to 6.4 ± 0.7 kWh/m²/day in March–April, with an annual mean value of 5.4 ± 0.9 kWh/m²/day.
Mots-clés
Global horizontal irradiance, solar energy potential, mathematical model, satellite-based data, City of Mamou, Republic of Guinea