Performance and Yield Assessment of Grid – Connected Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Dispersed Generation in Nigeria

Abstract

The problem of Renewable Dispersed Generation (RDG) and renewable resource harnessing in most cases, is not the inadequacy in resource distribution at a particular location, but rather the perpetually deprived exploitation of these resources. The existing dread for the performance of distributive generation systems that utilize renewable source for power generation has crippled generation expansion in most parts of Nigeria for several years. This study is therefore aimed at performing a practical assessment on the productivity of solar PV systems in Nigeria. In this study, five states with diverse geographical or meteorological data were selected from the cardinal regions of the country to include Sokoto State in North West, Borno State in North East, Ogun State in South West, Rivers State in South East and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory at the center. The global horizontal radiations available from the National Aviation and Space Agency, NASA for these cities were used in simulating the performance of a 1- MW grid-tied solar PV plant using the PVsyst software. PVsyst simulation findings revealed that the performance parameters with respect to energy production favor the cities in the northern region more than the cities in the southern region with capacity factors decreasing from 20.46% in the northern region to 16.21% in the southern region for a 1- MW solar PV plant located in these regions. This was seen to reflect on the corresponding annual energy yield of similar systems sited in these locations. Also, the performance ratios of these systems given their respective reference yields were observed to be better in the southern region than the northern region of Nigeria, this could be attributed to external factors that can influence system efficiency. These factors tend to favor the systems located at the southern region better than those at the northern validating this study as a decision tool for the predictability of the performance of any Renewable Dispersed Generation, RDG systems utilizing solar energy at other regions of the country.