Senegal has strong potential for renewable energy generation, most of it untapped. So far, hydropower has been partly exploited and contributes 54 MW to the power mix. Moreover, solar PV has been used in new mini-grids and to retrofit existing ones. Wind has good potential and biomass is abundant owing to the amount of organic waste produced by the agricultural sector.
Solar Potential
The country has significant solar energy resources. Solar irradiation is above 2,000 kWh/m2/year for Global Horizontal Irradiation across most of the country, with the average global daily irradiation calculated at 5,43 kWh /m²/day which gives excellent prospects for photovoltaic projects as well as for the use of solar thermal technologies. The falling prices of PV panels and system components make solar an attractive solution, particularly if the costs of the alternatives – imported oil products – are high. There are no official data on the capacity of installed PV systems. Since purchasing power is relatively low, PV systems are only rarely bought by private individuals. The market opportunities will depend on the creation and expansion of national and international promotion programmes.
