What is PVGIS?
PVGIS (Photovoltaic Geographical Information System) is a tool developed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. It calculates solar energy production for any point on the globe using high-precision satellite data.
Global coverage
PVGIS covers the entire globe with SARAH-2 satellite data (1983–2020) for Europe and Africa, and ERA5 for the rest of the world.
Scientific independence
Developed by the JRC, an independent research centre of the European Commission, PVGIS has no commercial interest. Its algorithms are published and peer-reviewed.
Free and open access
PVGIS is entirely free, without registration or subscription. Any owner can generate their own report in a few clicks.
Validated accuracy
PVGIS estimates have a margin of error of ±5% for Mauritius, validated by comparison with real installations in the field.
Ethics & Reliability & fiabilité
Why is PVGIS the only acceptable reference in Mauritius?
Recognised by the CEB
The Central Electricity Board of Mauritius officially recognises PVGIS as the reference tool for solar productivity studies under the SSDG and MSDG programmes. Any serious engineering firm bases its calculations on PVGIS.
SARAH-2 data for Mauritius
For Mauritius, PVGIS uses SARAH-2 satellite data from the EUMETSAT Climate Monitoring SAF, covering the period 1983–2020. This data has a spatial resolution of 0.05° (approximately 5 km), suitable for the size of the island.
Full transparency of calculations
PVGIS explicitly displays all system losses (thermal, spectral, cabling, inverter), the calculated Performance Ratio, and annual degradation. An installer who cannot reproduce these figures uses another method — potentially inflated.
No commercial simulator is equivalent
The internal simulators of installers (SolarEdge Designer, PVsyst with custom parameters, Excel spreadsheets) can be calibrated to produce attractive figures. PVGIS is the only tool whose parameters cannot be manipulated by a salesperson.
System losses: 14 % JRC default vs 4.5 % field reality year 1
The PVGIS JRC API applies a default system loss of 14 % from year 1. This is a 20-year average, not the first year reality. After 20 years of field experience in Mauritius, real losses in year 1 are approximately 4.5 % : 3 % system (cabling, inverter, temperature, dust) + 1.5 % panels (LID + initial degradation). The progressive degradation of PV cells then adds 0.5 %/year. The cumulative average over 20 years does reach 14 % — but applying 14 % from year 1 underestimates real production in the first years by 10 to 12 %. The values on this site use 4.5 % losses in year 1 to reflect field reality.
Reference yield by district
Year 1 production for 1 kWp installed (4.5 % losses : 3 % système + 1,5 % panneaux). Max = full North orientation, 20–25° angle. Min = unfavourable orientation (East/West or flat angle, −20 %).
A salesperson who promises production exceeding the Max for your district is using inflated figures. Demand the PVGIS report with the exact GPS coordinates of your property.
| District | Zone | Year 1 Max — Full North (kWh/kWp) | Year 1 Min — Unfav. orient. (kWh/kWp) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black River ★ MAX | West Coast | 1 785 | 1 690 | Most sunny area of the island |
| Pamplemousses | North Coast | 1 760 | 1 665 | Favourable sunshine, low altitude |
| Rivière du Rempart | North Coast-Est | 1 750 | 1 650 | Good irradiation, moderate wind |
| Port Louis | Coast / Urban | 1 740 | 1 640 | Urban density, some shading possible |
| Rodrigues | Rodrigues Island | 1 750 | 1 635 | Good sunshine, strong wind possible |
| Flacq | East Coast / Interior | 1 715 | 1 600 | Coast vs interior variability |
| Grand Port | South-East Coast | 1 695 | 1 580 | Cloudier, slightly lower production |
| Savanne | South Coast | 1 685 | 1 570 | Wetter area, lower production |
| Moka | Central Plateau | 1 610 | 1 495 | High altitude, cloudier |
| Plaines Wilhems | Central Plateau | 1 595 | 1 480 | Curepipe / Rose Hill — least productive area |
| ∅ Mauritian average | All districts | 1 761 | 1 409 | Reference used in fraud alerts |
Source: PVGIS SARAH-2, European Commission — data 1983–2020. Year 1 losses: 4.5 % (3 % système + 1,5 % panneaux). Dégradation 0,5 %/an — 14 % en année 20. Fourchettes calculées sur plusieurs points GPS représentatifs par district.
How to read a PVGIS report
Step-by-step guide for non-technicians — 5 lines to absolutely check
Check the GPS coordinates
En haut du rapport, les coordonnées latitude/longitude doivent correspondre à votre adresse exacte. Une différence de 10 km peut représenter 10–15 % d'écart de production (côte vs hauts plateaux).
Read the 'E_y' line (annual production)
C'est la seule ligne qui compte : l'énergie annuelle produite en kWh/an. Ne confondez jamais avec 'H(i)_y' (irradiation) qui est toujours plus élevée et ne représente pas votre production réelle.
Check the Performance Ratio (PR)
The PR should be between 0.80 and 0.85 for Mauritius. A PR of 0.90 or more is physically impossible under Mauritian climatic conditions (high thermal losses).
Check system losses
Le rapport PVGIS détaille les pertes thermiques (~10,7 %), spectrales (~0,7 %), de réflexion (~2,9 %) et système (~3 %). Si un devis ne mentionne pas ces pertes, il est incomplet.
Apply annual degradation
Les panneaux perdent environ 0,5 % de leur efficacité par an. Un devis qui affiche la même production sur 20 ans ignore cette réalité physique et surestime les revenus à long terme.