Niger is located between 11˚37N and 23˚33N latitude band and between 0˚10W and 16E longitude. Niger is a continental country of 1,267,000 km² whose three-quarter are

desertic, with an uncertain and very weak pluviometry (frequent droughts and an approximate annual average of 500 mm). According to the National Center of Solar Energy, power consumption of Niger is very low, about 1.2 Mtoe/year distributed between wood-fuels from agricultural wood and residues (91%), petroleum products (7%), and electricity (2%) [5] . Wood potential is very low and desertification due to various causes is one of the main concern. The national power production capacity is only 104 MW. However, the country has important resources and energy potentialities. The planed hydroelectric infrastructure powers potentials are 38, 122.5 and 125 MW respectively in Dyodyonga, Gambou and Kandadji. Solar energy potential is extensive: daily insulation ranges from 5 to 6 kWh/m²/day, and daily insulation duration is about 9 hours. Wind speeds in the country range in average from 2.5 to more than 5 m/s [6] . The renewable energy sector is very very low. According to the National Center of Solar Energy, the total PV installed capacity in Niger in 2006, was 1.07 Mega Watt peak (MWp) [5] . A relatively recent study of the national solar energy center CNES, the total capacity in 2014 is estimated to 5.2 MWp, with a mean annual increase of 48% between the two previous periods [5] . This increase is mainly due to an important uses of Solar PV in the sector of telecommunications (for power feed of aerial wires; 39%), followed by water pumping (27%). The remaining ones were for general electrification (including rural areas, 18%), public lightning (10%), health centers (5%), school lightning (1%). Elsewhere, Niger under-exploits its coal reserves and its natural gas and oil reserves are only recently be proved.

The energy situation in Niger is typical for least advanced countries: only 6.5% of the people are connected to the electricity grid, and more than 85% of the primary energy consumed comes from traditional biomass (fuel wood) [5] . Niger is energetically highly dependent on its neighbor Nigeria, who delivers more than half of its electricity (55%). Authorities and partners, Private organism and NGOs promote and fund the development of solar PV installations. Their fixed goal is to reach 10% of renewable energy in the national energy consumption by 2020.

Côte d’Ivoire is located within bands latitudes and longitudes 4.4N - 10.3N and 7W - 2.8E. Côte d’Ivoire has an area of 322,462 km² and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the South, and in the North by soudano-sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali. The country is influenced by two air masses: a moist equatorial air mass called Monsoon and a dry tropical air mass coming along with a northern drying wind named Harmattan, with a saturation of 65% - 90%. There are four major climate zones in Cote d’Ivoire, namely an equatorial climate, a semi-damp tropical climate, a dry tropical climate and a wet tropical climate. The country knows large temperature variations between the North and the South but also throughout the year depending on the season. The temperatures throughout the year respectively range from a minimum average of 22˚C to a maximum average of 32˚C.

The net electricity consumption in Abidjan goes up to 4150 GWh in 2009 and it will keep on increasing in the following decades due to high economic growth and increasing population. The average electricity consumption in urban area is 300 kWh per capita, while it is 150 kWh per capita in rural area. The country main sources of energy are hydropower and thermal. In 2010, hydropower produced 1619 GWh while thermal sources gave 4258 GWh. Natural gas is the greatest source of electric power (66.4%) followed by hydropower (31.2%), then by biomass with 2.1% and petroleum with 0.3% [7] . There is no significant contribution from solar and wind energy sources. Despite the fact that the country is endowed with wind and solar energy potentials, the more exploited renewable energy resources are hydropower (93.5%) and biomass (6.5%).

Solar energy is abundant in Cote d’Ivoire, where the average solar radiation ranges between 4 kWh/m² per day (in the Southern part) and 6 kW h/m² per day (in the North) with a daily sunshine time of 6 hours.

Figure 2 shows the direct annual solar irradiation in kWh/m²/year in Côte d’Ivoire and Niger with the location of Abidjan and Niamey respectively in the Southern part of Côte d’Ivoire and the South Western part of Niger. The northern part of Niger has the largest solar irradiation ranging from 2100 to 2500 kWh/m² per year while the southern part of Niger which concerns the region of Niamey has relatively small amount of solar irradiation (≤1500 kWh/m²). The Northern part of Côte d’Ivoire receives as much solar radiation as the central part of Niger (e.g. ranging from 1500 to 1700 kWh/m²/year of solar radiation). Concerning our studies areas, on average, Abidjan receives 1000 kWh//m²/year while Niamey receives 1600 kWh/m²/year.

1) Current-Voltage and Power-Voltage curves

The photovoltaic characteristics (or I-V curve) of a PV module is the important key for identifying its quality and performance as a function of varying environmental parameters [8] [9] . The curve indicates the characteristic parameters of the PV module at which it would work at peak efficiency. These parameters are crucial for designing any small or large PV system. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to measure the I?V characteristics with high accuracy under natural environmental condition [3] . In dark, solar cell I-V characteristics have an exponential pattern similar to a diode [10] . Hence, an ideal solar cell can be represented by a current source connected in parallel with a single diode, as shown in the equivalent circuit of Figure 3 (left). But the ideal case of solar cell not reflect the reality. More accuracy in the model (ideal solar cell) can be achieved by adding series resistances. The configuration of simulated solar cell with single-diode and series resistance is shown in Figure 3 (right).

The photo generated current (Is) is generated by photon and it is proportional to the irradiance G.

where is a constant

A solar cell can at least be characterized by the short circuit current I_sc, the open circuit voltage V_oc, and the diode ideality factor m. For the same irradiance and p-n junction temperature conditions, the short circuit current, is the greatest value of the current generated by the cell. The short current is given by:

For the same irradiance and p-n junction temperature conditions, the open circuit voltage is the greatest value of the voltage at the cell terminal [10] . The open circuit voltage is given by:

where K_b is the Boltzmann constant, T is the absolute temperature, q positive (>0) is the electron charge, and V is the voltage at the terminals of the cell, and I_o is the diode saturation current is also known as the diode reverse bias saturation current. The current voltage and power voltage characteristics curve of an ideal cell are illustrated by Figure 4.

The I-V curves of a PV string (module) describes its energy conversion capability at an existing condition of irradiance and temperature. Conceptually, the curve represents the combination of current and voltage at which the string could be operated or loaded. Figure 4 shows a typical I-V curve and the P-V curve that is computed from it and key points on these curves. Referring to this figure, the span of the I-V curve range from the short circuit current (I_sc) at zero voltage to zero current at the open circuit voltage (V_oc). The knee of a normal I-V curve is the maximum power point (I_mp, V_mp), the point at which the array generates maximum electrical power. At voltage below V_mp, the flow of solar generate electrical charge to the external load is relatively independent of the output voltage. Near the knee of the curve, this behavior starts to change. As the voltage increases further, an increase percentage of charges recombine within the solar cells rather than flowing out through the load. At V_oc, all the charges recombine internally. The maximum power point (P_mp) located at the knee of the (I-V) curve is the point at which the product of current and voltage reaches its maximum value.

2) PV Efficiency

The efficiency is the most commonly used parameter to compare the performance of one solar cell to another, i.e. one PV module to another. Expressed in percentage (%), efficiency (η) is defined as the ratio of energy output from the module to input energy from the sun.

The efficiency of a PV module is defined as:

where, the measured power output (W) and is the measured solar irradiance intensity (W/m²) and S is active area of solar module (m²).

The efficiency depends mainly on the spectrum and intensity of the incident sunlight and the temperature of the solar cell. Therefore, conditions under which efficiency is measured must be carefully controlled in order to compare the performance of one device to another. Change in solar modules efficiency is a result of a combination of solar irradiance intensity, ambient temperature, elevation angle of the Sun and local weather conditions [11] [12] .

3) Performance Ratio (Pr)

The increasingly common measure of energy production is the performance ratio Pr. The general equation for Pr is given as:

where is the measured power output (W), is the maximal rated power at Standard Test Conditions (STC), , the solar irradiance intensity of 1000 W/m², is the measured solar irradiance intensity (W/m²). Performance ratio is a site-dependent parameter, which does not take into account temperature or spectral effect. However, it does enable a quantitative comparison of different technologies for a given climate [11] [12] [13] [14] .

4) Fill Factor (FF)

Fill Factor is the ratio between nominal and maximum power standard. It is an important indicator of PV performance. It is given as:

V_MP is the maximal power voltage (the voltage where a module outputs the maximum power) and I_MP is the maximum power current, the maximum amperage where a module outputs the maximum power. It shows the influence of the serial resistance on efficiency of solar cell, in other words, it shows how much the solar cell is close to ideal one [11] [12] . Nevertheless, In order to increased power output of a PV system, solar cells are mounted in series and parallels.

The power incident on a PV module depends not only on the power contained in the sunlight, but also on the angle between the module and the sun rays [15] . When the absorbing surface and the sunlight are perpendicular to each other, the power density on the surface is equal to that of the sunlight. Nevertheless, the best technology of PV enabling the sunlight perpendicular to the PV panels, i.e., the solar tracking systems, are much more expensive than fixed PV systems. However, tilting the surface up, causes the diffuse light to decrease. Thus, in cloudy sky condition, it is better to put the panel horizontally in order to best capture the reflected solar radiation as PV panel work with global radiation. So the best option is to put the PV panel to the optimal tilted angle in order to yield more outputs. A good orientation and tilt angle of PV modules can maximize its energy potential. For the best performance of your systems in the year, in most locations, fixed PV modules should be oriented to true South (in the Northern Hemisphere). In the case that there is no possibility to move the surface of the PV modules at all, the optimal tilt angle for maximum amount of direct irradiance is set out to the site’s latitude.

Solar cell temperature is one of the most important factor responsible for lowering the performance of PV modules [16] . It modifies the power output and system efficiency. It depends on the module encapsulating material, the thermal dissipation, the absorption properties, the functioning point of the modules as well as the irradiance intensity, ambient temperature, wind speed and the accurate installation [17] . So it is important to perform a quantitative analysis of the temperature influence on PV modules properties such as voltage, current, efficiency under real operating conditions. Thus, increased temperatures affect all PV technologies. But certain types of modules are more resilient to temperature increase than others. Heat also has an effect on panel degradation. Long term exposure to heat will have the panel age more rapidly, while some materials may not be able to withstand short peak of very high temperature [18] . It is possible to cool PV panel either passively through natural air flows or actively, through forced air (ventilation systems and liquids coolants) [19] .

It is important to record the performance of PV modules under real climate condition since the outdoor PV electrical characteristics (voltage, current…) are different from those corresponding standard conditions (which are rarely occurs outdoor). The PV modules are rated at standard condition of 1000 W/m² of irradiance, 25˚C of ambient temperature, air mass of 1.5, and 1 m/s wind speed different from outdoor environmental conditions [17] . Despite the fact that irradiation is the main indicator of PV potential, it is also necessary to consider secondary parameters such as PV technology, environmental parameters (wind, temperature, humidity) which allowed us to quantify with precision the amount of electricity produced by a PV system. Based on experimental investigation in Pakistan, it has been reported that monocrystalline silicon modules are more efficient than other modules, but have shown a higher decrease at higher module temperatures [12] . It has investigated that the impact of irradiance and temperature on PV system [20] [21] . They have found that solar irradiance has the greatest impact on the power output of a PV system. Module temperature has significant influence on the behavior of a PV system, as it modifies system efficiency and output energy. Temperature affects how electricity flows through an electrical circuit by changing the speed at which the electrons travel. This is due to an increase in resistance of the circuit that results from an increase in temperature. Likewise, resistance is decreased with decreasing temperatures.

Different studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of dust on solar cells. Dust is defined as particulate matter which size is less than 500 micrometer (µm) in diameter. It includes small pollens such as bacteria and microfibers separated from clothes, carpets and the account fungi, fabrics. Dust deposition depends on various environmental and weather conditions. Therefore, pedestrian and vehicular activities, volcanic eruptions, pollution and wind can lift up dust and scatter it into the atmosphere [22] . Dust settlement mainly relies on the dust properties (chemical properties, size, shape, weight, etc.) as well as on the environmental conditions (site specific factors, environmental features and weather conditions) [23] . According to some studies, the surface, tilt angle, humidity and wind speed also affect the dust settlement [22] - [24] . A wide range of reduction in performance have been reported including average reduction of 1% with a peak of 4.7% in a two-month period in United States [25] , 40% degradation in a 6 month period in Saudi Arabia [26] , 32% reduction in a 8 month time again in Saudi Arabia [22] , 17% - 65% reduction depending on the tilt angle in 38 days in Kuwait [27] . In another study done in Egypt 33.5% - 65.8% reductions in performance have been announced in duration of one to six months exposure [28] . It has been investigated that the impact of humidity, air velocity and dust on solar PV performance [23] . He has confirmed at the end of his investigation that dust deposition and settlement on the surface of PV cells can drop the efficiency.

The experiment materials are a monocrystalline PV panel of 15 W, a variable resistor from 0 to 100 ohms (Ω), three digital multimeters (DT170, DT9205 and Unit 107), an Eppley PSP pyranometer and a temperature sensor. We also use a platinum resistance probe to measure the resistance of the PV modules and thus, to determine the cell temperature (). It is made of a thin film of platinum with resistance varying from 0 to 100 Ω. The precision of this probe depends on the temperature range as indicated by the NFC C42-330, DIN 4376 and BS 1904 norms.

Ø ±1˚C from 0˚C to 150˚C

Ø ± 0.70˚C from 150˚C to 500˚C

For determining the temperature of the PV cell (), we proceeded to a calibration, which consisted of putting both a thermometer and a platinum probe in a warm water and recorded for each value of resistance, the corresponding temperature. Then by the least squares method, we determine the linear regression line () between resistance and temperature of the PV cell. It is shown as the Figure 7.

The result of the calibration method and the equation of the linear relationship are

given in the Equation (7). The correlation coefficient of the linear regression is equaled to 0.9979; the obtained equation is:

The description of the principle of the experiment are explained as follow:

Ø Lighten the PV modules by placing it under the sunshine at different position (horizontal or tilt angle).

Ø Measure the irradiance using the pyranometer at the place where the PV was set.

Ø Wait for one minute to ensure the well-functioning of the system to avoid error due to temperature variation.

Ø Make sure that during all the phase of measurement, the value of irradiance is constant on the PV module.

Ø Measure the open circuit voltage () and the short-circuit current (), then for different values of resistance, from 100 to 0 Ω, measure the voltage V at the edge of the PV panel and the intensity in the circuit for about 10 values.

Ø Gather all the data in a table; voltage (sorted from the largest to the smallest) in function of current. Complete the table by computing the power obtained by () and then plot the characteristics Current-voltage () and Power-voltage ().

Ø Identify the functioning point of the PV panel such as maximum power (), open circuit voltage (), short-circuit current (). Do the measurement for several values of irradiance and under sunny and cloudy conditions to see how maximum power delivered by the PV varies with the incoming solar radiation.

Table 2 is an example of data recorded in outdoor conditions over Abidjan on 1 July 2015 for a given irradiance (797.31 W/m²). Figure 8 gives the corresponding I-V and P-V curves that enable to compute the efficiency.

The efficiency of the PV for several values of solar radiation associated with different atmospheric conditions (sunny, cloudy and overcast)and climatic parameters (temperature, solar radiation and humidity) is computed both in Abidjan and Niamey. Finally, idealized indoor experiments have been performed to investigate the sensitivity of PV efficiency to different radiation with constant values of temperature and humidity.

This experiment was conducted indoor at LES Laboratory (Abidjan) using an incandescent bulb (Tungsten) of 1000 W to lighten the PV module place at a variable distance respectively (20, 15, 10 and 5 centimeters) of the panel in order to fix different irradiances (respectively 211 W/m², 384 W/m², 576 W/m² and 893 W/m²). Tungsten filaments radiate mostly infrared radiation at temperatures below 3244 degrees Celsius. Measurement of (), (), () has been recorded, thus I-V and P-V characteristics curves of PV module has been plotted in order to compute the efficiency in such condition for each value of irradiance. Figure 9 shows the indoor experimental condition.