ABSTRACT
This entry presents a map of the global horizontal irradiation (GHI) of the eastern region of Morocco, based on the GHI data measured by ten meteorological stations distributed over this region, for a measurement period of 12 months, from March 2012 to February 2013. The GHI data were obtained from two types of sensors, the Kipp&Zonen thermopile and Li-200SZ silicon photodiodes. The measurement accuracy of the Li-200SZ sensor was checked by comparing the hourly GHI data measured by a CMP21 Kipp&Zonen pyranometer and a Li-200SZ separated by 1.9 km. Generally, for hourly GHI data, the Li-200SZ measures with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 13.7 W/m2 (5.1%) and 5.97 W/m2 (2.6%) for clear and cloudy days, respectively. Results show that the eastern region of Morocco receives a solar irradiation of 1733 kWh/m2, which is the average of data from ten stations that can be considered as important. The results of this study can help policy makers, utility companies, academic entities, and industry players have a clear idea about the solar potential of this region and will, definitely, encourage investments in the solar field in the eastern region of Morocco.
