News date · 18/09/2026
Published by ReneWave 27/09/2026
ReneWave · News · Morocco
Masen plans solar measurements at 12 Moroccan sites
Six proposed solar-weather stations would collect local readings in two phases. Here is what the instruments measure before any plant can be defined.
ReneWave
Generated contextual illustration; it does not depict the announced site or project.
- Study scope
- 12 sitesAnnouncement
Two successive groups of six in the official notice.
- Reported equipment
- 6 stationsContext
One proposed fleet would serve both six-site phases; detail reported from the tender dossier.
- Bid deadline
- 1 October 2026Announcement
16:00 GMT: a tender deadline, not a construction start.
What Masen has launched
Masen has opened consultation 14/Masen/2026 to obtain solar-resource data for twelve Moroccan sites, in two successive groups of six. Bids are due by 1 October 2026 at 16:00 GMT. This is a procurement for measurements and data, not an order to build twelve power plants.
Why measure several places instead of relying on a sunny-looking map? Sunlight, heat and weather vary between locations and seasons. Repeated readings can test each site’s resource before technical and financial decisions. The public notice does not identify the exact locations or explain how the twelve were selected.
How six stations would cover twelve sites
Detailed reporting on the tender dossier describes six solar-weather stations serving the first six sites, then another six. It says each site would be measured for 24 months and the whole two-phase programme would take about 52 months, including equipment deployment. These are planned periods, not evidence that readings have begun; the complete dossier was not available for our direct review.
The six stations are measuring tools, not six power plants. The diagram shows why a fleet of six can yield twelve separate site records. The bid deadline is not a measurement start date or a construction date; neither has been confirmed publicly.
How the process works
Six stations to study twelve sites
The reported deployment sequence, not a site map or a construction schedule.
Reported measurement fleet
- 6 stations
Field instruments for solar radiation and weather.
- 01First 6 sites
24 months of readings per site in the reported plan.
- 026 more sites
A second phase after the first, using the reported six stations.
- 0312 site datasets
Quality-checked records to compare site potential.
How the sunlight is measured
What does a station actually do? At a fixed point on a candidate site, sensors record incoming sunlight and local weather repeatedly over time. The reported specifications call for total sunlight on a level surface, sunlight on a tilted plane, direct rays, light scattered across the sky and ground reflection. They also include temperature, humidity, pressure, wind and rain. These are measurements of the site’s conditions, not electricity output.
In standard solar-resource practice, a dome-shaped pyranometer faces upward to measure total light; another can be tilted like a future collector plane. A sun-tracking pyrheliometer measures the direct beam, while a shaded pyranometer measures diffuse light. An upward/downward sensor pair can estimate ground reflectance, and weather probes record the surrounding conditions. The figure explains those instrument roles; Masen’s accessible notice does not confirm the exact sensor arrangement or models for its six stations.
A logger timestamps the readings. Calibration and quality checks help detect gaps, drift and implausible values before they become a site dataset. The reported tender specifications call for Class A irradiance sensors, over 98% availability of raw data, over 96% after filtering, and regular reports. That matters because a long record with missing or faulty readings can mislead later production estimates.
Which instrument tells the study what?
Standard measurement methods for the reported variables; this is not a confirmed layout or equipment list for Masen.
01 · TOTAL
Total light on two planes
Level and tilted pyranometers
Two sky-facing domes read the light received by a level and a tilted surface.
02 · DIRECT
Direct beam
Sun-pointed pyrheliometer
A tube on a tracker stays aligned with the sun and isolates its direct beam.
03 · DIFFUSE
Diffuse light
Shaded pyranometer
A small shade blocks the sun; the dome receives light scattered across the sky.
04 · REFLECTED
Ground reflection
Downward-facing pyranometer
The downward sensor reads light bounced off the ground; an upward reading provides the reference.
What technology and output could follow?
The resulting records could help compare the locations and refine feasibility estimates. The press accounts frame the future projects as photovoltaic, but the public notice does not settle a final technology or design for each site. Measuring direct and diffuse light does not itself prove that PV was chosen over concentrating solar thermal power.
Twelve study locations are not a known generating fleet. The accessible notice gives no land area, installed megawatts, annual electricity output or plant construction timetable. The immediate benefit is better evidence for later choices; household supply cannot yet be calculated from this tender.
