An assessment of the solar resource for Durban, South Africa

Renewable energy’s role as an alternative to fossil-based power is growing in the developing world. The city of Durban, South Africa, is an example of a rapidly expanding urban center which can benefit from the implementation of solar energy technologies. This paper presents a year-long data record of the solar flux intensity for the city of Durban (29°58′N 30°55′E). Global horizontal irradiance (Gt), direct normal irradiance (GDN), diffuse horizontal irradiance (Gd) and daily average clearness index (KT) are used. The data were recorded at the Solar Thermal Applications Research Laboratory (STARlab) at Mangosuthu University of Technology. Ground-based measurements obtained from STARlab are compared with data from a variety of sources including NASA’s SSE database and the literature. The aim of this study is to build a reliable record of the solar resource for urban planning, engineering design and effective operation of solar energy systems and applications. Results show that Durban has a considerable solar energy resource, which remains to be exploited.

► We compare measured radiometric data with NASA SSE for Durban, South Africa. ► Sky clearness index is measured for 2007 and compared with SSE and other locations. ► Durban’s solar potential is comparable to New Delhi, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. ► The solar potential exceeds that of Athens, New York and Stuttgart. ► Results are useful to solar energy engineers, scientists and planners.