Performance Evaluation of Burkina Faso’s 33 MW Largest Grid-Connected PV Power Plant

Sami Florent Palm (), Lamkharbach Youssef, Sebastian Waita, Thomas Nyachoti Nyangonda, Khalid Radouane and Ahmed Chebak
Additional contact information
Sami Florent Palm: Condensed Matter Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197-00100, Kenya
Lamkharbach Youssef: Green Tech Institute, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco
Sebastian Waita: Condensed Matter Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197-00100, Kenya
Thomas Nyachoti Nyangonda: Condensed Matter Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197-00100, Kenya
Khalid Radouane: Green Tech Institute, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco
Ahmed Chebak: Green Tech Institute, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: This study conducted an in-depth analysis of the performance of the largest Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic System in Burkina Faso from 2019 to 2021. The research utilized measured data and simulated the plant’s performance using the PVGIS database. The results revealed that the months with high solar radiation were the most energy-productive, indicating a direct correlation between solar irradiance and energy generation. During the rainy season (July and August), the PV plant exhibited the highest conversion efficiency. Conversely, the hot season (March and April) was associated with the lowest conversion efficiencies, with module temperatures reaching approximately 47 °C. Efficiency decreased from 12.29% in 2019 to 12.10% in 2021. The system’s performance ratio ranged from 80.73% in 2019 to 79.36% in 2021, while the capacity factor varied from 19.89% in 2019 to 19.33% in 2021. The final yield, measured in hours per day, was 4.89 h/d in 2019, 4.61 h/d in 2020, and 4.92 h/d in 2021. These findings highlight the deterioration in the performance of the Zagtouli PV plant over time. The study emphasizes the utility of using PVGIS-SARAH2 to forecast solar radiation and estimate energy output in PV systems. A semi-automatic cleaning system is used to clean the modules. This cleaning mechanism is inefficient because it is inconsistent. To increase the PV plant’s effectiveness, improved cleaning systems with more advanced mechanisms are required. This research, the first of its kind on the largest PV power plant connected to Burkina Faso’s national grid, serves as a valuable model for other power plants currently under construction or in the planning stages.

Keywords: performance analysis; grid-connected PV system; temperature effect; conversion efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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