Does Lesotho have solar energy potential?

This study represents the first assessment of solar photovoltaic and wind energy potential production over Lesotho at high horizontal resolution (1 km), based on the state-of-the-art atmospheric model WRF.

What is the main power plant in Lesotho?

At present the Muela hydroelectric plant is the major power station in Lesotho with a total power of 72 MW and it is accountable for almost the total energy production of the country.

How was the photovoltaic power potential map produced for Lesotho?

The photovoltaic power potential map for Lesotho was produced using WRF Sim2 hourly values of normal, direct and diffuse solar radiation, 2 m temperature, 10 m wind and albedo. As for the wind energy assessment, the use of an hourly model output allowed us to take into account diurnal variability of the involved physical quantities.

Where is wind potential found in South Africa?

Zones with higher wind potential are mainly found all along the eastern border with South Africa, from north to south and in general in the highlands. The wind potential exhibits much more variability respect to the photovoltaic one, with estimated energy production ranging from 1000 kWh/kW up to 4000 kWh/kW.

How can Lesotho benefit from a mini-grid?

The rugged hills and mountains of Lesotho’s landscape often make the connection of many remote villages to the national electricity grid very expensive; in such cases, some mini-grid solutions based mainly on locally-available renewable resources become handy in provision of electricity for households and the local businesses [ 5 ].