World Journal of Engineering Research and Technology

*Digitemie Innocent Eteli, Adinna B. O. and 3Benjamin Ufuoma Oreko

ABSTRACT

This research work focused on the variability of global solar radiation over the area of Extension site which is situatued in Federal Polytechnic Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. (6?20'N. 7U00'E) which was located in South Eastern part of Nigeria for the month of December 2016. The global solar radiation was measured every thirty minutes from 6:00am to 6:00pm for the period of five days. To measure the intensity of solar radiation in a particular geographical area is one of the necessary tools used for the investigation of the intensity of solar power radiation and necessary for the implementation of photovoltaic systems in that particular geographical area. To determine the solar radiation intensity, data were collected over a given period of days using an instrument called solarimeter. Solarimeter is an instrument used to determine the intensity or thermal radiation and photovoltaic principles of the sun in a particular geographical area. The data collected were analyzed to observe the behavior or the data and what the data portrays. The data were analyzed using radial plot, line plot, scatter plot main effect, correlations and probability plots. From the analysis, it was observed that the Sun radiation is highest from around 12 noon to 2 pm of the day time and lowest around 6AM to 7AM in the morning hours and around 6 PM in the evenings of 6th to 10th February, 2017. The high intensity is as a result of high atmospheric temperature in the area. The correlations of the intensity and the temperature reveals that they are correlated to each other. The probability plots show that the exponential probability plots are more significance than normal probability plots. The result shows the intensity of the sun light is high in afternoon and lower in the early hours of mornings and late hours of evenings. The average solar intensity of extension site in Federal Polytechnic Oko, is 356,644w/m2. The result will help in positioning solar panels, in order to determine the efficiency of solar panel, being critical in the selection of solar panels that will be necessary and more effective in that particular geographical area.

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