Résumé
Djibouti is a little poor country which perfectly symbolizes the energy way of life of people living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Electrification rate is only about 30% and the important scattering of rural peoples throughout the country makes grid extension and fuel transportation unsuitable economic solutions to carry energy. The geographically diffused solar resource can therefore be an interesting mean to produce energy where it is consumed. The aim of this study was the creation of the first Djibouti's global horizontal irradiation atlas, including assessment and improvement. To realize this atlas, a satellite-derived irradiance model was used (EUMETSAT O&SI SAF) and validated by ground measurements realized during 2010 and 2011. In order to improve geographic information and accuracy of this solar atlas, irradiation maps were then disaggregated with a 3 arc second (~ 90 meters at the equator) Digital Elevation Model (DEM), by taking into consideration terrain-related shading effects and elevation gradient. According to the final computed atlas, during the year 2010, mean irradiation all over the country was around 2100 kWh/m² and about 82% of the country received over 2000 kWh/m². The retrieved irradiation maps can be used to evaluate relevance of the solar resource over rural areas of the country, and implemented within energy models in order to size stand-alone solar systems.