Determination of Solar Irradiance Benchmarks for Municipal Off-grid Photovoltaic Power System Development in Lagos State, Nigeria

The chapter examined the solar irradiance benchmarks for off-grid photovoltaic power systems development in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria as a power supply alleviation strategy in the State and strategic model for other sponsors in Lagos State and Nigeria. Solar irradiance analysis, an energy technology foresight analysis method for effective energy planning and evaluation, was used. The solar irradiance analysis determined three solar irradiance measurements – the NiMet pyranometer, the NASA satellite, and the Mechlouch and Brahim (2008) model. The study determined the model graph to be incongruous with the NiMet pyranometer and NASA satellite-derived graph plots while the NIMet and NASA satellite plots essentially overlapped. The study adjudged the model graph as being theoretical and inappropriate while the NiMet and NASA readings gave realistic plots which were deemed acceptable as suitable solar irradiation benchmarks. In conclusion the study established solar irradiance benchmarks of 15 MJ/m2/day (upper (maximin) value) and 20 MJ/m2/day (lower (minimax) value) for the photovoltaic power systems development in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria.