42 Global Journal of Energy Technology Research Updates, 2017, 4, 42-50 E-ISSN: 2409-5817/17 © 2017 Avanti Publishers Performance and Yield Assessment of Grid – Connected Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Dispersed Generation in Nigeria A. U. Adoghe 1,* , O. E. Udeme 2 , P. Amaize 3 and J. O. Olowoleni 4 1,2,3,4 Covenant University, College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Canaan Land, Ota, Ogun State, PMB 1023, Nigeria Abstract: The problem of Renewable Dispersed Generation (RDG) and renewable resource harnessing in most cases, is not the inadequacy in resource distribution at a particular location, but rather the perpetually deprived exploitation of these resources. The existing dread for the performance of distributive generation systems that utilize renewable source for power generation has crippled generation expansion in most parts of Nigeria for several years. This study is therefore aimed at performing a practical assessment on the productivity of solar PV systems in Nigeria. In this study, five states with diverse geographical or meteorological data were selected from the cardinal regions of the country to include Sokoto State in North West, Borno State in North East, Ogun State in South West, Rivers State in South East and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory at the center. The global horizontal radiations available from the National Aviation and Space Agency, NASA for these cities were used in simulating the performance of a 1- MW grid-tied solar PV plant using the PVsyst software. PVsyst simulation findings revealed that the performance parameters with respect to energy production favor the cities in the northern region more than the cities in the southern region with capacity factors decreasing from 20.46% in the northern region to 16.21% in the southern region for a 1- MW solar PV plant located in these regions. This was seen to reflect on the corresponding annual energy yield of similar systems sited in these locations. Also, the performance ratios of these systems given their respective reference yields were observed to be better in the southern region than the northern region of Nigeria, this could be attributed to external factors that can influence system efficiency. These factors tend to favor the systems located at the southern region better than those at the northern validating this study as a decision tool for the predictability of the performance of any Renewable Dispersed Generation, RDG systems utilizing solar energy at other regions of the country. Keywords: Dispersed generation, photovoltaic, yield assessment, renewable, resource harnessing. 1. INTRODUCTION The danger posed by traditional power generation to general economic sustainability, development and substantial growth is obvious in the way each country of the world seeks for countless alternative energy sources of electric power generation in the best economic and conservational method [1]. The basic aim for generation expansion in developed countries has been to advance the economic and commercial performance of the sub-sector which contrasted to the rather critical role played by the macroeconomic status in the developing and transition countries [2]. There is always an apparent tie between economic growth and electric power consumption per capital growth such as that seen in Middle Eastern countries like the United Arab Emirate (UAE) and Qatar [1]. In Nigeria, electric power supply has never kept phase with demand despite the fact that the country is one of the leading oil producing nation in Africa. In spite of this, it boast of the highest oil and natural gas reserve which is supplemented by renewable resources such as water, wind and abundance solar *Address correspondence to this author at the Covenant University, College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Canaan Land, Ota, Ogun State, PMB 1023, Nigeria; E-mail: anthony.adoghe@covenantuniversity.edu.ng energy that can be used to generate a substantial amount of electricity as emphasized in [2]. Increase in load demand necessitates generation, transmission and distribution expansion by building new generation power plants and corresponding expansion of the transmission and distribution systems. Viewed from modern economic and environmental perspective, this is not recommended particularly at this stage when there is a global struggle to meet the targets set in the Kyoto Protocol in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions [3]. The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions led to the increase of probing into other alternative sources of energy generation. Renewable dispersed generation (RDG) which is defined as a small-scale electricity generation fueled by renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, or by low-emission energy sources, like fuel cells and micro-turbines; which is also referred to as embedded generation (small size generation units connected to the distribution power system) readily came to mind [3, 4, 5]. According to sustainable energy regulation network (SERN) [6], Nigeria has available capacity of 6,056 MW out of total installed capacity of 10,396 MW from the 23 grid-connected generating plants in the country of which fossil fuel generation accounts for about 79% of the total installed capacity and the remaining 21% from