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© 2025 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 
 

Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences 
Vol. 12, No. 1, 1-5, 2025 

ISSN(E) 2313-8173 / ISSN(P) 2518-0134 
DOI: 10.20448/arees.v12i1.6368 

© 2025 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 

 
 

 
 
 
Effects of photovoltaic power plants connected to the grid from 2016 to 2022 in 
Senegal on carbon dioxide emissions 

 
Mamadou Traore1,2   

Amadou Sidibe1   

Saliou Bolarinwa Ogou1,3   

Alphousseyni Ndiaye2      

Senghane Mbodji4    
 

 
( Corresponding Author) 

 
1Departement of Physics, University of Julius Nyéréré of Kankan, Guinea. 
1Email: mamadou.traore@uadb.edu.sn    
1Email: asidibe76@yahoo.fr    
2Research Team Energetic System and Efficiency, Department of Physics, Alioune Diop University of Bambey, 
Bambey, Senegal.  
2Email: aphousseyni.ndiaye@uadb.edu.sn  
3Département de Physique (FAST) et Institut des Mathématiques et de Sciences Physiques, Université d’Abomey-
Calavi, 01 BP 613, Porto-Novo, Bénin. 
3Email: salogoub@gmail.com   
4Research Team in Renewable Energies, Materials and Laser of Department of Physics, Alioune Diop University 
of Bambey, Bambey, Senegal. 
4Email: seghane.mbodji@uadb.edu.sn  

 
Abstract 

The use of fossil fuels for energy production has caused global warming, the main environmental 
concern of our society. Today, renewable energy sources offer a solution to this problem, and the 
government of Senegal is working to promote the renewable energy sector in order to combat 
global warming and produce reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy. The current work seeks 
to study the contribution of photovoltaic power plants to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, 
particularly carbon dioxide. Photovoltaic system operation, depending on atmospheric parameters, 
utilizes the RETScreen software to collect weather data such as ambient temperature, irradiation, 
and wind velocity for each location. Mathematical equations modeling the temperature, efficiency, 
and power of a photovoltaic module are used in this work to determine the influence of atmospheric 
conditions on solar power plants. The results showed that weather parameters have a significant 
influence on energy production. The results also demonstrated Senegal’s contribution to the 
reduction of greenhouse gases with 194.228 MegaWatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic plants. This 
contribution consisted of injecting 364.746 GigaWatt-hours (GWh) of clean energy per year, i.e., 
7294.920 GWh over 20 years, and in reducing 314,411.1 tons of carbon dioxide per year, i.e., 
62,288,222 tons over 20 years. 

 
Keywords: CO2 reduction, Greenhouse gas, Global warming, Renewables energies, Photovoltaic power plants, Senegal. 

 
Citation | Traore, M., Sidibe, A., Ogou, S. B., Ndiaye, A., & Mbodji, 
S. (2025). Effects of photovoltaic power plants connected to the grid 
from 2016 to 2022 in Senegal on carbon dioxide emissions. Asian 
Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 12(1), 1–5. 
10.20448/arees.v12i1.6368 
History:  
Received: 16 December 2024 
Revised: 20 January 2025 
Accepted: 30 January 2025 
Published: 6 February 2025  
Licensed: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 

Attribution 4.0 License  
Publisher:  Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 

Funding: This study received no specific financial support.    
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable. 
Transparency: The authors state that the manuscript is honest, truthful, and 
transparent, that no key aspects of the investigation have been omitted, and that 
any differences from the study as planned have been clarified. This study 
followed all writing ethics. 
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing 
interests. 
Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed equally to the conception and 
design of the study. All authors have read and agreed to the published version 
of the manuscript.   

 

Contents 
1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 
2. Presentation of the Sites and Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 2 
3. Results and Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3 
4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 
References ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 
 

 

mailto:mamadou.traore@uadb.edu.sn
mailto:asidibe76@yahoo.fr
mailto:aphousseyni.ndiaye@uadb.edu.sn
mailto:salogoub@gmail.com
mailto:seghane.mbodji@uadb.edu.sn
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://www.doi.org/10.20448/arees.v12i1.6368
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6383-8690
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3618-1011
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6839-8703
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4024-4256
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7235-5036


Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2025, 12(1): 1-5 

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© 2025 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 

 

 

Contribution of this paper to the literature 
This work is the first scientific study carried out in Senegal to determine the amount of carbon 
dioxide that photovoltaics power plants will reduce in 20 years' time. This work determines the 
influence of atmospheric conditions on installed photovoltaic power plants. 

 
1. Introduction 

In 2017, out of 357 million people living in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, 
171 million were without electricity [1]. A large part of the energy produced in this region comes from fossil fuels. 
The combustion of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases, thus increasing global warming. Therefore, the energy 
transition (from fossil energies to renewable energies) is still topical issue. In 2015, an agreement was signed in Paris 
(at COP21). Such an agreement aims at reducing the rate of carbon emissions worldwide to such an extent that the 
global average temperature should not exceed 2°C (and even 1.5°C) above preindustrial levels for this century [2-
6]. This situation provides a favorable ground for the use of renewable energies which is becoming increasingly one 
of the major focuses of the world's population. The most widespread renewable energies are biomass, hydroelectricity, 
wind and solar energies. In Africa, many actors such as states and organizations impact the energy transition [7]. 
In this logic, ECOWAS countries will invest about €1.773 million in photovoltaic (PV) solar energy before 2030 [3, 

8]. It is important to note that in West Africa, the daily average solar radiation is 5-6k𝑊 ℎ/𝑚2/𝑑𝑎𝑦 [3]. In addition, 
the source of this energy is available everywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa [9]. In recent decades, it has been noted that 
solar PV has undergone very significant development [10]. Senegal, for example, has been developing reform policies 
in the energy sector since 2010, particularly in the area of green (renewable) energy [11]. Senegal is a West African 
country which is located at latitude 14°43’29 North, longitude 17°28’24 West with a total area of about 196,700 km2, 
and a population of over 15 million people. The Institute of Meteorological Physics (IMP) is the first institute of 
solar energy research. It was established at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar in 1962 and was renamed 
Centre for Studies and Research on Renewable Energies (CSRRE) in 1975 [12]. In Senegal, 60% of the population 
are rural residents, and only 40% of people living in rural areas have access to electricity. The connection of solar 
photovoltaic plants will enable the country to reduce its electricity imports still further by up to 15% [1]. Between 
2016 and 2022, the Senegalese government installed eight photovoltaic solar power plants connected to the grid. 
These include Bokhol, Malicounda, Tène Merina, Sakal, Diass, Santhiou Mekhe and Kahone. These green power 
generation systems will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions knowing that every kWh produced corresponds to 
a reduction in the use of fossil fuels. However, there is no scientific research to determine the quantity of carbon 
dioxide that can be saved by these solar power plants.  

The aim of this work is to study the effect of these PV power plants on carbon dioxide emissions, one of the 
greenhouse gases, considering meteorological parameters such as temperature, solar irradiation and wind speed. To 
achieve this aim, the current paper is organized as follows: the PV solar plant sites and the methodology will be 
described in Section 2, starting with a presentation of Senegal’s PV solar potential. The results obtained from the 
methodology will be presented and discussed in Section 3. The last section of this paper is the conclusion.  

 

2. Presentation of the Sites and Methodology 
In this section, we will present the map of Senegal’s solar potential and the sites where photovoltaic power plants 

are installed, and develop the methodology used. 
 

2.1. Photovoltaic Solar Potential in Senegal 
Figure 1 shows a map of Senegal and the corresponding solar potential. It can be seen that certain areas of Saint-

Louis, Louga and Fatick regions and the entire Dakar region have the highest solar potential in Senegal, at over 4.8 
kWh/kWp. In fact, the eight power plants studied in this research work are located in above-mentioned regions. 
The least unfavorable areas are in the regions of Tambacounda, Kédougou, Kolda and Ziguinchor. 

 

 
Figure 1. Photovoltaic power potential in Senegal. 

Source: Abdoulaye, et al. [13]. 



Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2025, 12(1): 1-5 

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2.2. Locations for PV Power Plants 
Bokhol, in the Saint-Louis region, is the first solar photovoltaic power plant in Senegal or even in West Africa. 

Saint-Louis is located at latitude 16.05° N and longitude -16.45° E. Our second solar power plant is located in Kahone. 
Kahone was a town in the Fatick region before being classified in the Kaolack region of Senegal. The geographical 
coordinates are: latitude 14°13 N and longitude -16°07 E. The third PV power plant in this study is located in Sakal. 

Sakal is located 27 km from Louga, with geographical coordinates of 15°62 N latitude and -16°22 E longitude. 
The solar power plant is located 3 km from Sakal. Finally, the Diass, Malicounda, Ten Merina and Santhiou Methe 
power plants are located in the Thies region, where the geographical coordinates are 14°38’21 N and 17°5’16 W. 
 
2.3. Methodology 

The efficiency of a PV module in the laboratory is low. It is 0.1575 for the solar modules installed in the power 
plants studied in this work. When the PV module is in operation, its efficiency depends on the temperature and 
irradiation of the installation site. Equation 1 gives the efficiency of a photovoltaic panel [14]. 

𝑟𝑃𝑉 = 𝑟𝑆𝑇𝐶 (1 − 𝑎(𝑇𝑃𝑉 − 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓) + 𝑏. 𝑙𝑛 (
𝐺𝑚

1000
))                      (1) 

Where: 

• 𝑟𝑆𝑇𝐶 is the module efficiency under standard conditions, i.e 𝑇𝑃𝑉=𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 = 25˚C, 𝐺𝑚 = 1000 W/m2 and air density 

=1.5; 

•  𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 is the reference temperature;  

• 𝐺𝑚 is the irradiation of the area where the module is installed;  

• 𝑇𝑃𝑉 is the module temperature, 𝑎 is the temperature coefficient and is equal to -0.0045 and 𝑏, the solar 
irradiation coefficient, is equal to 0.11. 

The temperature of the PV noted 𝑇𝑃𝑉 varies according to weather conditions. In this study, we will use the 
mathematical Equation 2 modelling temperature as a function of ambient temperature, irradiation and wind speed. 

𝑇𝑃𝑉 = 𝑇𝑎𝑚 +
𝐺𝑚

(𝐶1+𝐶2.𝑣𝑠)
                         (2) 

 
Where: 

• 𝑇𝑎𝑚  is the ambient temperature; 

• 𝑣𝑠 is the wind speed; 

•  𝐶1and 𝐶2 are empirical coefficients whose values are respectively equal to 32.12 W/(˚Cm2) et 4.51 Ws/(˚Cm3). 

The output power of a PV solar module noted 𝑃𝑆_𝑃𝑉
 is modelled by Equation 3, which shows its dependence on 

variations in weather conditions. 

𝑃𝑆_𝑃𝑉
=

𝑃𝑃𝑉_𝑆𝑇𝐶
.𝐺𝑚.𝑟𝑃𝑉

1000.𝑟𝑆𝑇𝐶
              (3) 

Where: 𝑃𝑃𝑉_𝑆𝑇𝐶
 is the peak power of the module. 

The PV temperature is calculated from Equation 2, the result of which will be used to find the PV efficiency 
given by Equation 1.  

The objective is to determine the quantity of carbon dioxide (𝐶𝑂2), one of the greenhouse gases, that can be 
reduced by the four proposed PV power plants. To calculate the quantity reduced by each PV plant, Equation 4 is 
proposed [15]. 

𝑄𝐶𝑂2
(𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑢) = 𝐹𝑒𝑚. 𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑑 = 0.862 ∗ 𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑑      (4) 

 
Where: 

𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑑  is the energy generated by the PV module that is expressed in MWh, 𝐹𝑒𝑚 is the greenhouse gas emission 

factor, whose value is equal to 0.862 kgCO2/kWh or 0.862 tCO2/MWh for Senegal. This value is given by the 

RETScreen software. 𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑑  is calculated by Equation 5: 

𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑑 = 𝑃𝑆_𝑃𝑉
. 𝑡(ℎ)       (5) 

Where t(h) is the PV operating time in hours, i.e. 360 hours per month or 12 hours per day in Senegal. 
 

3. Results and Discussion 
In this section, the meteorological data obtained using the RETScreen software are used to determine the 

temperatures, efficiencies and output powers of the PV modules. The ambient temperatures, wind speeds and module 
temperatures are shown in Figure 2, 3 and 4. These characteristics are not represented for the Malicounda, Ten 
Merina and Santhiou Mekhe sites, as these sites are in the same geographical area as Diass. 

 

 
Figure 2. Variation of the ambient temperature at PV power plant sites over the year. 



Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2025, 12(1): 1-5 

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© 2025 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 

 

 

Figure 2 shows the ambient temperatures at the sites of the four power stations. The figure shows that the town 
of Kahone has the highest temperature every month, followed by the town of Sakal. Diass has the lowest temperature. 

Figure 3 shows the different wind speeds. It can be seen that, contrary to the temperature, Kahone and Sakal 
have respectively the lowest and highest wind speeds. After Sakal, Diass comes second, followed by Bokhol. 
 

 
Figure 3. Variation of wind speed at PV power plant sites over the year. 

 
Using the results shown in Figure 2 & 3, the PV module temperatures for four PV power plants are determined 

and illustrated in Figure 4. This shows that the monthly temperatures of the modules are higher than those of the 
environment in which they are installed. At Kohone, the temperature can exceed 40°C. This may be due to the low 
wind speed. Diass had the lowest module temperatures. These results confirm the dependence of PV panel 
temperature on wind speed and ambient temperature. 

 

 
Figure 4. Variation of the PV module temperature over the year. 

 
Table 1 represents the PV module efficiencies of the four PV solar power plants. This table shows that the 

modules installed at Bokhol have a higher efficiency than the other sites, except in June when Sakal has a slightly 
higher efficiency. This can be explained by the fact that the wind speed in June is higher at Sakal than Bokhol. 
 
Table 1. The PV module efficiencies of the four PV solar power plants. 

January 0.1462 0.1441 0.1439 0.1418 

February 0.1489 0.1481 0.1466 0.1462 
March 0.1539 0.1510 0.1502 0.1499 
April 0.1551 0.1522 0.1516 0.1525 
May 0.1551 0.1530 0.1527 0.1538 
June 0.1541 0.1536 0.1529 0.1543 
July 0.1551 0.1524 0.1527 0.1531 
August 0.1559 0.1516 0.1518 0.1530 
September 0.1547 0.1519 0.1516 0.1531 
October 0.1539 0.1512 0.1507 0.1524 
November 0.1493 0.1466 0.1469 0.1472 
December 0.1458 0.1423 0.1423 0.1430 
Sites Bokhol Diass Kahone Sakal 

 



Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2025, 12(1): 1-5 

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Table 2 shows the power output, energy injected into the grid and quantities of CO2 reduced per year. These 8 
plants will enable 364.746 GWh to be fed into the grid every year, i.e. 7294.920 GWh over 20 years. After all, a solar 
power plant can operate for at least 20 years. In terms of contribution to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, 
314411.1 tons will be reduced per year, i.e. 62288222 tons over 20 years. 
 
  Table 2. Energy injected (MWh) to grid & quantity of CO2 reduced (tons) in year. 

Solar power plant Power (W) Energy injected (MWh) in year Quantity of CO2 reduced (Tons) in year 

Bokhol 20 32965.5 28416.3 
Diass 17 34914.6 30096.4 
Kahone 1 21.228 31059.5 26773.3 
Kahone 2 35 70371.1 60659.8 
Sakal 20 29077.5 25064.8 
Ten Merina 29.5 60587.1 52226.1 
Santhiou Mekhe 29.5 60587.1 52226.1 
Malicounda 22 45183.6 38948.3 
Total 194.228 364746 314411.1 

 

4. Conclusion 
The effect of photovoltaic power plants installed in Senegal on carbon dioxide emissions has been studied in this 

work. Instead of taking the value of installed power directly to calculate the quantity of 𝐶𝑂2 reduced, mathematical 

equations are used to find a more accurate quantity. This approach allowed us to determine the quantity of 𝐶𝑂2 
reduced per year and to see the influence of meteorological parameters on the energy produced by PV power plants. 

In the future, the use of experimental values will enable a good estimate of reduced 𝐶𝑂2 to be made. 
  

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