Evaluation of the energy potential of solar irradiation and wind speed in the Forécariah Prefecture, Guinea

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess the energy potential of solar and wind resources in the Forécariah prefecture in Guinea, taking into account average sunshine and wind speeds. The study aims to determine the renewable energy production capacity in order to contribute to the sustainable energy development of the region. The methodology adopted includes the collection of meteorological data over several years (21 years), focusing on solar irradiation and wind speed in the region. Calculation models were used to estimate the possible solar and wind power, as well as the number of wind turbines required. The wind rose was also studied to optimize the orientation of the wind turbines. During this study we obtained several results, the main ones being: maximum monthly sunshine (6.2 W/m²), minimum monthly sunshine (3.9 W/m²), maximum annual sunshine (5.34 W/m²), minimum annual sunshine (5.03 W/m²), maximum monthly average speed (3.8 m/s), minimum monthly average speed (1.8 m/s), maximum annual average speed (3 m/s), minimum annual average speed (2.6 m/s), installed solar power (20 MW), installed wind power (2 MW) with 82 wind turbines and the wind rose indicating the wind direction from the southwest to the northwest. These results show a significant energy potential for the production of electricity from renewable energies in the prefecture of Forécariah, Guinea.