Browsing by Author "Tsolele, Taelo"

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    The potential impact of climate change on wind spped and solar radiation in Lesotho
    (National University of Lesotho, 2024) Tsolele, Taelo; Mpholo, Moeketsi
    In this study, a Jupyter Notebook software was utilized to study the potential impact of climate change on wind speed and solar radiation in Lesotho using a CORDEX-Africa regional climate model to simulate the past, present, and future climate conditions under different scenarios at 10 m above ground level. Historical climate data from 1950 to 2005 showed a consistent average wind speed of 1.50 - 3.0 m/s and solar radiation of 200 - 225 W/m2, except in the north-east of the country where the Butha-Buthe and Mokhotlong districts are located, solar radiation of 175 - 200 W/m2 was averaged. The RCP4.5 scenario projected a stable average wind speed ranging from 1.50 - 2.75 m/s except for the peak of 3.00 m/s in 2030. The projected solar radiation had a minimum average solar radiation of 150 W/m2 and a maximum average solar radiation of 275 W/m2, reaching up to 340 W/m2 by 2045. The RCP8.5 scenario projected a similar wind speed trend, exceeding 3.00 m/s from 2042 to 2045, and a peak solar radiation of 370 W/m² in 2043. These projections imply that Lesotho's solar and wind energy generation will not be negatively impacted, thus offering significant opportunities for sustainable energy development. The findings support investments in wind and solar infrastructure throughout the country, extending to places such as Butha Buthe, Quthing, and Mokhotlong with the newly acquired renewable energy resources due to climate change.