Reliable water supplies depend on reliable electricity, yet many Nigerian communities and institutions face limited grid access and costly pumping operations. Renewable energy offers alternatives, and previous studies have examined solar panels, wind turbines and waste-derived biogas for electricity generation and water pumping. However, assessments have often covered few locations, compared limited equipment options or emphasized resource availability without fully considering costs.
Wind assessments also require accurate estimates of how speed varies with turbine height. Broader comparisons are therefore needed to guide technology selection across Nigeria's diverse climatic and geographical conditions.
A study (DOI: 10.48130/een-0026-0019) published in Energy & Environment Nexus on 20 October 2026 by Richard Oladayo Olarewaju's team, Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, identifies solar photovoltaics as the most economical pumping-energy option at the six study sites and documents location-specific differences in wind shear.
Researchers used 11 years of NASA wind-speed and solar-irradiation data, covering 2014–2024, to model renewable electricity generation at university sites in Ibadan, Abakaliki, Benin City, Abuja, Bauchi and Dutse. Simulations in MATLAB compared nine commercial wind turbines and ten photovoltaic modules. Pumping power requirements were extrapolated from a reference pumping system using site populations, while biomass generation was estimated from municipal waste availability and anaerobic digestion models that calculate biogas production.
The analysis compared capacity factors, which describe output relative to rated capacity, and unit electricity costs incorporating investment, operation and maintenance assumptions. Wind measurements at 10 m and 50 m were also used to calculate wind shear across Nigeria's 36 state capitals and the Federal Capital Territory. Additional analyses examined equipment selection, financing conditions, annual changes and seasonal resource variability.
Among photovoltaic modules, the Panasonic model achieved the highest capacity factor at every site, ranging from 15.08% in Benin City to 19.09% in Dutse. Its relatively low temperature-related power losses helped explain this performance. The EWT DW 54 turbine led the wind comparison, with capacity factors ranging from 3.72% in Benin City to 43.85% in Bauchi, reflecting its ability to reach rated output at comparatively low wind speeds. Nevertheless, the baseline cost comparison favored solar: biomass electricity cost US$0.42–1.11 per kilowatt-hour, while wind cost US$1.84–8.58.
Selecting turbines for maximum capacity factor substantially reduced wind electricity costs at several sites, demonstrating that matching equipment only to pumping demand can overlook more productive configurations. Separately, wind shear exponents ranged from 0.10 in Calabar to 0.48 in Asaba, indicating that a single assumed value could misrepresent local wind conditions. The biomass sensitivity analysis showed increasing electricity costs as discount rates rose, highlighting the importance of financing assumptions alongside resource quality when evaluating renewable pumping projects and comparing their long-term economic performance under different local operating conditions.
“Overall, the study provides a comparative planning framework rather than a universal prescription for renewable water pumping,” said Richard Oladayo Olarewaju, Abiola Ajimobi Technical University.
Its results support prioritizing solar assessments at the six investigated sites while emphasizing that turbine characteristics, local wind profiles, waste availability and financing can alter project economics. By combining resource assessment with equipment and cost comparisons, the work offers a basis for more targeted feasibility studies and better-informed investment in renewable-powered water infrastructure.