Evaluating the potential of renewable energy technologies for buildings in Nigeria

The impact of greenhouse gas emission resulting from burning of fossil fuel for electricity generation is a global challenge that can be tackled by using renewable energy sources. Nigeria is a fast growing country with population estimated at about 140 million people. Steady economic and population growth is putting significant strain on the country’s electricity supply and distribution infrastructure. More than 64% of Nigeria’s electricity is generated from fossil fuel sources. However, the direct cost of infrastructure required for generation, transmission and the environmental implication of burning additional fossil fuel will have significant impact on the country’s rate of growth and the global carbon dioxide emission. Abundant renewable energy sources all over the country can be utilised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as a strategy for rural electrification. One of the key constraints affecting the use of alternative or renewable energy technologies is the lack of understanding of the factors that affect performance of the system. To remove this constraint, the potential of solar PV systems have been evaluated using the TRNSYS Simulation Environment and RETSCREEN Simulation Tool to establish performance data for a range of solar PV products and locations. Results show that PV systems have significant potential as stand alone applications in buildings and other application.