Botswana Solar Energy Development

Botswana has enormous potential for solar energy resource: Annual average solar irradiance
between: 1900 -2200 kWh/m-2

Botswana has one of the highest Or a solar insolation of 21 MJm -2 one of the highest in the world.

Daylight hours in Botswana are between 9.9 hrs in summer to 8.2 hrs in winter

Botswana was one of the first countries to promote the use of solar in Southern Africa through the
use of Solar Water Heaters (SWH) in government housing developments
Modular solar systems
Standalone solar system are popular in Botswana especially in rural areas, commercial use
of solar is still at its infancy.

Courtesy of Wikipedia Courtesy of Wikipedia

Borehole pumping Solar Water Heating

Solar Water Heating

Exercise: a) A flat plate collector has an absorber plate of dimensions of

1.2 m x 0.8 m. If the solar flux falling directly vertical onto to the
surface of the plate is 600 W/m2;
(i) How much energy in Mega Joules (MJ) has been absorbed by the
panel in 2 hrs? Assuming zero reflectivity
(ii) Assuming all the energy is absorbed by 12.0 kg stationary water in
the pipes of the panel and the initial temperature of the water is 18.0 °C,
what would be the final temperature of the water? Specific heat
capacity of water is 4200 J/Kg°C.
Solar Water Heating

Solution:
(i) Area of plate: 1.2 x 0.8 m2 =0.96 m2
Energy absorbed by plate in 1 sec: 600 Wm-2 x 0.96 m2
Energy absorbed by plate in 2 hrs: 600 W/m-2 x 0.96 m2 x 3600 x2 s
= 4.14 x10 6 J = 4.14 MJ
(ii) E= mcΔT

The final temperature of the water is 18+81 =99 (Boiling! But due to several losses;
reflectivity, conduction and convection, transmission, the temp is lower than boiling
point)
How much land do I need for a solar power
plant?

• Example 3. Approximately how much land is required to build a 200

MW PV plant. Given that the efficiency of the solar cells used is 20 %
and the average daily irradiance level is 500 Wm-2 , ignoring all other
losses?
• Solution:
How much land do I need for a solar
power plant?
• Total energy needed per second.200MW=200x106 W ;

• Amount of solar energy per second (radiant power) converted by a

solar cell to electric energy per second per square meter .
• Pe= 500Wm-2 x 0.2 i.e. (20 % efficiency)

• Area required: 200x106 W/(500Wm-2x 0.2)= 2x106 m2 =200 hecta.

• NB: This is a crude estimate, but for feasibility study of projects a comprehensive study is required.
Botswana Solar Energy Development
 Up-scaling Solar (renewable energy) resources is a twofold achievement.
 Addressing energy security.
 Meets Botswana’s climate change protocol targets;
o Botswana has ratified the Paris Agreement.
o Botswana government expressed commitment towards COP26 (climate change
mitigation and adaptation conference held in Glasgow, UK in 2021) resolutions.

 Botswana Government realises the potential of solar energy resource:

 1.3 MW Phakalane PV Station - operational
 Upcoming 200MW CPS plant.
 1MW off-grid Tobela Solar PV plant—status??
 5kW PV array at Mmokolodi Clinic-a grid connected bidirectional PV system-operational
 Shumba Energy secured finances for a 100 MW PV-construction works to begin 2023.
 Tourism campsites around Okavango delta took a giant leap in photovoltaics- e.g., Wilderness Camp installed more than
500 MW PV systems, cumulatively.
Chobe Safari Lodge use solar powered boats & safari vehicles.
Botswana Solar Energy Development
 Feasibility studies: -Concentrator Solar Thermal Plant (CSTP),

 Country wide survey -Solar water heating

 Vision 2016 target: -The country must be developed as a centre of excellence for
solar energy technology.

 In 2020: Rooftop Solar Program (RTS) by United State Agency for International Development (USAID)
through its energy arm Southern Africa Energy Program (SAEP) developed a 5 year programm-2020-
2025 to promote installation of rooftop solar PV devices by households to meet their energy needs & sell
back power to BPC grid when they have excess.

 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) show advocacy for solar energy and aspires to reach a 15 %
contribution of solar energy towards the energy mix by 2030.
 Botswana Solar Energy Development
 2021 -The National Energy Policy (NEP) will open way for Independent Power
Producers (IPP) to invest in energy sector particularly solar as one of the most
potent energy sources.
 The establishment of Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) will provide
energy legal and trading framework for both IPPs and any other energy traders.
Solar Industries Association of Botswana (SIAB)- promotes wide scale use of solar
energy: liases between gov, solar industries and academics
SOLTRAIN-Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration-capacity
building for installation and maintaining SWHs
Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC): Developed by the University of
Botswana- promote interdisciplinary research, education and advocacy for clean
energy including Solar. Supervised a solar research project in Mmokolodi.
Botswana Solar Energy Development
N.B. It has been recorded that since the commissioning of the Phakalane Solar Park,
from 2012 to 20th October 2015, the amount of carbon dioxide saved was 1 613 319
kg- CO2 and the total energy generated was since the plant started operating was 5
129 779 kWh.
How ? To be discussed under Coal energy resource.
 Challenges in Solar Development in Botswana
Lack of mandatory standards for both for locally produced and imported solar equipment ,and
their installation thereof.

Skills Shortage in the industry.

Low purchasing power of the customers. (But of late solar PV devices are becoming more
affordable for all)