Climate Change Impacts on Solar Energy Development in Nigeria: A Review

The concept of climate change has continuously been a major subject for sustainable development in energy. Long-term changes in climatic variables have been evidently connected to anthropogenic activities; conversely, a comprehensive study of the effects of these variables on various renewables is still in its infancy. This review goes beyond the norm to present the effects of climate change/ climatic variables on the development of solar energy in Nigeria. The impacts of various climatic variables like wind, cloud cover, sunlight, temperature, and precipitation have been reviewed to infer the effects of their long-term changes on solar energy development. Furthermore, climatic variations and their ecological effects have been evaluated, as well as policies adopted for development. The drivers and barriers to its adoption are also assessed. The review shows that though Nigeria might be facing issues related to climate change, proper utilization and policy development can create sustainable means to curb the effects of climate change on renewables, while improving renewable energy and ultimately solar energy adoption. Knowledge gaps buttress this. This review will be of benefit to readers from every region seeking to understand the holistic effect of climate change on solar energy or renewables and vice versa.