Abstract
At present the use of solar energy for power generation has increased in recent years, this is due not only to climate change but also to reduce costs of solar technology materials and equipment. The paper assesses the energy generation potential of photovoltaic systems in the Caribbean region of Colombia based on data extracted from NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy. The solar energy atlas for Caribbean region was generated using ArcGIS program. The analyzed results indicates that in the Caribbean region of Colombia there is a huge energy generation potential of photovoltaic systems with annual electricity generation of 1554.47kWh/kWp and performance ratio of 79.63% which is good for PV systems. This study is important as generated results are vital for the development of PV systems in the region and also the results can be used in the future social, economic and environmental impact study for deployment of these systems; and selecting the suitable area and appropriate technology that can adapt to the conditions of this region.
Highlights
Today the awareness of the availability of solar energy is necessary for optimal utilization of the resources
In order to assess the energy generation potential of PV systems in Caribbean region of Colombia the following indicators has been used based on previous studies undertaken in other parts of the world [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]; performance ratio, capacity factor, final yield, suitable area, Theoretical, Geographical and technical energy potential
In the study the potential of PV systems for energy generation in Caribbean region of Colombia has been carried out using analytical approach
Summary
Today the awareness of the availability of solar energy is necessary for optimal utilization of the resources. Since this energy can be converted into useful energy through use of solar technologies. In 2015 the capacity installed was at least 48,1 GW, as compared to 40 GW in 2014 [3]. The total photovoltaic capacity installed at the end of 2015 globally amounted to 227,1 GW [3]. The 24 International European Agency (IEA) photovoltaic power systems (PVPS) countries represented 197 GW of cumulative PV installations, the majority of these are grid connected. Countries with less than GW installed PV system were not included in the global installed capacity. Some countries with more than a GW but whose total is difficult to quantify with accuracy were excluded [3]
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