TITLE:
Experimental Assessment of Solar Irradiance in Kankan and Validation of a Photovoltaic Resource Prediction Model
AUTHORS:
Namory Diaby, Mohamed Ansoumane Camara, Souleymane Soumah, Ansoumane Sakouvogui
KEYWORDS:
Solar Resource, Irradiance, Pyranometer, Photovoltaics, Correlation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.5,
May
25,
2026
ABSTRACT: Assessing solar resources is essential for estimating a region’s energy potential in terms of photovoltaic energy production. In Guinea, although average sunshine levels are high (around 4.8 kWh/m2/day), exploitation of this resource remains limited, particularly in rural areas. Upper Guinea, with its 2700 hours of sunshine per year and dry climate, offers ideal conditions for solar development. However, the lack of reliable weather stations is a major obstacle. To overcome this constraint, we have set ourselves the goal of conducting an experimental study to measure and evaluate solar irradiance in Kankan, using a system of equipment equipped with an autonomous pyranometer. To capture variations in solar irradiance, a sampling interval of 5 minutes was chosen. Measurements were taken over a period of more than one year, but in this study we focused on data from one week of measurements (April 12 to 18, 2025). These measurements revealed high solar potential, with peaks reaching 1000 to 1100 W/m2 in some places. The curves obtained reveal both the regularity of the solar cycle and meteorological variability. The next step in our work will be a comparative study between the data measured on site and the results obtained using a code developed in previous work, specifically, a clear-sky irradiance model, for the first day of measurement (April 12, 2025). We will then conclude with a correlation study between these two sets of data.