Wind and solar radiation potential assessment in Kano, Nigeria using Weibull and Samani models

Abstract

clean, source free, environmentally friendly and renewable source of energy such as wind and solar energy can be used for providing sustainable power supply to remedy an epileptic and unreliable power supply systems. For decades, electric power supply situation in Kano, Nigeria has been a major source of serious concern. The epileptic power supply has hindered the socio-economic growth industrialization and, subsequently, increase air pollution due to individual stand-alone diesel generators. Various government incentives and policies have little or no effect to improve the availability and reliability of the electric power. The aviation industries especially the Navigation and communication equipment required, apart from availability, a reliable power sources because of their sensitivity to reliable and safe Aircraft navigation. The need for an alternate renewable energy system (RES) of power supply away from the National grid and diesel generator is inevitable at Kano. This paper proposes an assessment of wind and solar energy potentialities at Kano in Nigeria using Weibull distribution methods and the Samani model to determine the wind features and estimate global solar radiation potentials respectively for power supply generation. A six years (2009-2014) monthly mean wind speed data measured at 10 m height was collected and extrapolated to 50 m height level for statistical analysis, while 22 years monthly solar radiation, temperature amplitude and relative humidity of the location were obtained from NASA web to calibrate, validate and evaluate the Samani model, ten years (2003-2012) maximum and minimum temperature were then used to predict the global solar radiation on horizontal surface of the location. The minimum Weibull average wind speed was found to be 8.60 m/s and the maximum average wind speed was 11.24 m/s while the minimum power density was 440.03 W/m2 and the highest was 947.26 W/m2 at the 10 m height level. The lowest average global solar radiation on the horizontal surface was 17.96 MJ/m2/d and highest average global solar radiation on the horizontal surface was 26.38 MJ/m2/d. The site has been found to have great potentials for wind and solar utility power generation capacity.