The Niger Solar Electricity Access Project (NESAP), aimed at enhancing electricity access in rural and peri-urban areas of Niger through solar energy, started in 2017 and has built 15 solar power plants.
Is solar energy a better alternative for electricity generation in Nigeria?
Solar energy is a better alternative for electricity generation in Nigeria as it supersedes that of the current source of electricity in Nigeria. It is no longer news when it comes to the epileptic power supply in the country and how badly it has affected industrial activities thereby putting a huge strain in the economic growth of the country.
Yes, there is considerable experience of off-grid solar energy systems in Niger. These include off-grid PV electrification, water pumping, and solar water heating systems. The main decentralised renewable energy system promoted in Niger for rural electricity is solar PV.
Where is solar energy used in Niger?
Solar energy is well-suited for use in Niamey and Zinder, located at lower latitudes, as they show less variability in solar radiation throughout the year. Niger has a long history of solar energy use, which began in the mid-1960s with the establishment of the Centre National d'Énergie Solaire (National Solar Energy Centre; CNES).
Solar energy is an inexpensive, clean and renewable source of power but in as much as solar energy is free, the high cost of its collection, conversion, and storage still limit its exploitation in many places especially in Nigeria.
Solar resource conditions in Niger are excellent, so utility-scale and distributed solar power generation shows significant promise all over the country. In recent years, the cost of PV systems has fallen sharply, making it possible for grid-based PV to achieve grid parity.
Due to excellent solar resource conditions, utility-scale and distributed solar power generation can achieve grid parity in Niger. The cost of PV systems has fallen sharply in recent years, making this possible.