Solar Radiation Potential Using Surface Meteorological Data: (A Case Study of Lokoja City, Kogi State)

Monthly mean global solar radiation data are fundamental in the study, design and installation of solar energy conversion devices. This research aimed at evaluating the potential of solar energy resources. The data of daily sunshine hours, maximum and minimum temperature collated from Nigeria meteorological Agency (NIMET), Lokoja station was to predict the monthly mean values of the global solar radiation of the area. Geographically, Lokoja is the state capital of Kogi State lies between 6.74°E longitudes and 7.8°N latitudes and occupies a surface area of about 63.82 square kilometers at elevation of 55m above sea level; it is located in the Midland area. The data for temperature (maximum and minimum) and the sunshine hours were considered for the period of twenty years; (1995 to 2014) which were used in computing the monthly mean daily solar radiation and the annual mean global solar radiation on the horizontal surface. The Hargreaves-Samani model and the Angstrom-Prescott model were used to evaluate the daily mean values of Global Solar Radiation (GSR) potential for Lokoja city. The mean solar power potential obtained for the period over Lokoja was between the ranges of 3.54kW/m
²
/day - 4.88kW/m
²
/day for both parameters considered. Base on figure 4 and 5, there is a correlation in the global solar radiation obtained for the two available data (i.e. sunshine hour and minimum/maximum temperature) used in the calculations respectively. Angstrom-Prescott model (AP) and Hargreaves-Samani (HS) models can confidently predict the global solar radiation of Lokoja in the absence of experimental data.