Assessment of the Energy Generation Potential of Photovoltaic Systems in Caribbean Region of Colombia

The use of solar energy for power generation has increased in recent years, this is due not only to climate change but also to reduce costs of solar technology materials and equipment. The paper assesses the energy generation potential of photovoltaic systems in the Caribbean region of Colombia based on data extracted from NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy. The solar energy atlas for Caribbean region was generated using ArcGIS program. The analyzed results indicates that in the Caribbean region of Colombia there is a huge energy generation potential of photovoltaic systems with annual electricity generation of 1554kWh/kWp and performance ratio of 79.63% which is good for PV systems. This study is important as generate results are vital for the development of PV systems in the region and also the results can be used in the future social, economic and environmental impact study for deployment of these systems; and selecting the suitable area and appropriate technology that can adapt to the conditions of this region.