Are Bissau s solar photovoltaic panels reliable

Table 1: Solar insulation in a horizontal plan in Guinea Bissau With a yearly average of over 5.8 Kwh/m2/day (table 1), GB should be able to take advantage of all solar energy applications.

As of today, the most popular solar application is the rural individual photovoltaic system that has been exploited in Guinea Bissau for the producing electricity to power houses, schools, offices and hospitals or health centers. Solar water pumping is the second most installed solar application in GB (Ex. PRS I and II in Table 2).

Giving that almost projects that involve RE are solar photovoltaic, all the companies working in the RE field are working in solar energy field and more specifically the photovoltaic field. These companies survive mainly through Government, UN, EU and NGOs projects.

Wind energy is extracted from wind speeds by wind turbines. It was first used to produce mechanical power (windmills). Nowadays, it is mainly used for the production of electrical power . Unfortunately, none were counted in Guinea Bissau.

The most ancient and still the most used today in African countries, is the wood coal and patches for cooking. In Guinea Bissau, it is the main source of biomass energy but not the only one. GB has recently started trying knew application of biomass energy.

The main techniques used for the production of electricity are dams but there are also other techniques such us: Run-of-the-river hydroelectric, pumped-storage hydroelectricity, Tidal power and wave power1. Guinea Bissau has an important site for the construction of a dam with a good potential for power generation.