How much electricity a solar panel produces depends mostly on peak sun hours: the daily solar energy reaching a well-tilted panel, expressed as hours of full 1,000 W/m² sunshine. This guide lists approximate values for every country, the best panel angle, the climate challenges, and the panel and system types that suit each region.
Solar potential lookup by country
Estimates use the formulas explained in this guide. Plan a complete system with the all-in-one calculator →
How to read this guide
- Sun hours (year): long-term average peak sun hours on a panel tilted near the best angle. Use this for grid-tied systems.
- Worst month: an approximate value for the darkest month. Use this for off-grid systems that must work all year.
- Yield: approximate yearly energy from 1 kW of panels (sun hours × 0.80 × 365).
- Best tilt: roughly your latitude, facing the equator. Steeper in winter, flatter in summer.
Important: these are approximate country-level values for planning. Large countries such as the United States, China, Brazil, India, Australia and Russia vary enormously from region to region. For an exact figure for your address, use the free Global Solar Atlas, NREL PVWatts or the EU PVGIS tool, then enter it in our all-in-one solar calculator.
Detailed country guides
For these countries we have full guides with output by city, current incentives and a worked payback example:
- Solar panels in the USA: output by city, cost and incentives after the tax credit
- Solar panels in the UK: output by city, 0% VAT and Smart Export Guarantee
- Solar panels in Australia: output by city, solar and battery rebates, feed-in tariffs
- Solar panels in Canada: output by city and rebates by province
- Solar panels in Germany: feed-in tariff, balcony solar and payback
Main countries at a glance
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Incentives in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 5.0 | 2.5 | 1,460 | 39° | No federal tax credit for homeowners after 2025; state rebates and net metering vary |
| United Kingdom | 2.9 | 0.8 | 847 | 52° | 0% VAT until 31 March 2027; Smart Export Guarantee for exports |
| Canada | 3.8 | 1.1 | 1,110 | 50° | Provincial rebates and net metering; federal grant and loan closed |
| Australia | 6.0 | 4.2 | 1,752 | 30° | STC solar rebate; Cheaper Home Batteries Program; low feed-in tariffs |
| Germany | 3.3 | 0.9 | 964 | 51° | Feed-in tariff about 7.7 ct/kWh (small systems, from Aug 2026); 0% VAT; 800 W balcony solar |
Panel types by climate
| Climate | Main challenge | Recommended panels and setup |
|---|---|---|
| Hot & dry | very strong sun, high panel temperatures, dust | TOPCon or HJT monocrystalline (best heat performance); plan regular cleaning for dust |
| Tropical | strong sun, high humidity, a cloudy rainy season | TOPCon or HJT monocrystalline with a low temperature coefficient; corrosion-resistant frames near the coast |
| Mediterranean | sunny summers, milder winters | TOPCon monocrystalline; good airflow behind roof panels for hot summers |
| Temperate | clear seasonal swing, cloudier winters | Mainstream monocrystalline (PERC or TOPCon); prioritise watts per m² on small roofs |
| Cold / snowy | long dark winters, snow, very long summer days | Monocrystalline with high snow-load rating; bifacial panels on ground mounts gain from snow reflection |
| Highland | strong UV, cool air, cold nights | Monocrystalline with good UV resistance; check cold-morning string voltage carefully |
North America & Caribbean
The United States averages about 5 peak sun hours across its population but ranges from roughly 3.5 in the Pacific Northwest to 6.5 or more in Arizona and New Mexico. Canada is lower (about 3.5 to 4.5 in populated areas) with snowy winters, while Mexico and the Caribbean enjoy 5.5 to 6 hours. In the US, net metering and net billing rules vary by state and change over time, and batteries are increasingly paired with solar where export rates are low or outages are common. Hurricane-prone islands should use racking rated for high wind loads and consider hybrid systems for storm resilience.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | 5.7 | 3.9 | 1,664 | 25° south | Tropical |
| Barbados | 5.9 | 4.0 | 1,723 | 13° south | Tropical |
| Belize | 5.3 | 3.6 | 1,548 | 17° south | Tropical |
| Canada | 3.8 | 1.1 | 1,110 | 50° south | Cold / snowy |
| Costa Rica | 4.9 | 3.3 | 1,431 | 10° south | Tropical |
| Cuba | 5.5 | 3.7 | 1,606 | 22° south | Tropical |
| Dominican Republic | 5.7 | 3.9 | 1,664 | 19° south | Tropical |
| El Salvador | 5.8 | 3.9 | 1,694 | 14° south | Tropical |
| Guatemala | 5.5 | 3.7 | 1,606 | 15° south | Tropical |
| Haiti | 5.8 | 3.9 | 1,694 | 19° south | Tropical |
| Honduras | 5.5 | 3.7 | 1,606 | 15° south | Tropical |
| Jamaica | 5.6 | 3.8 | 1,635 | 18° south | Tropical |
| Mexico | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1,723 | 23° south | Hot & dry |
| Nicaragua | 5.6 | 3.8 | 1,635 | 12° south | Tropical |
| Panama | 4.8 | 3.6 | 1,402 | 9° south | Tropical |
| Puerto Rico | 5.6 | 3.8 | 1,635 | 18° south | Tropical |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 5.5 | 3.7 | 1,606 | 10° south | Tropical |
| United States | 5.0 | 2.5 | 1,460 | 39° south | Temperate |
Europe
Europe has a strong north-south gradient. Southern Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta and southern Italy and Greece reach 5 to 5.7 peak sun hours, comparable to many sunny parts of the US. Central Europe (Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic) sits around 3.2 to 3.5, and the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia around 2.6 to 3.0. Northern countries produce most of their energy from April to September and very little in December, so grid-tied systems with net metering or export payments dominate. Off-grid homes in the north need large winter margins and usually a generator. Snow-load ratings and steep winter tilts matter in the Alps and the Nordics.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 4.6 | 2.5 | 1,343 | 41° south | Mediterranean |
| Andorra | 4.4 | 2.6 | 1,285 | 42° south | Highland |
| Austria | 3.8 | 1.4 | 1,110 | 48° south | Temperate |
| Belarus | 3.0 | 0.8 | 876 | 54° south | Cold / snowy |
| Belgium | 3.1 | 0.9 | 905 | 51° south | Temperate |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3.9 | 1.9 | 1,139 | 44° south | Temperate |
| Bulgaria | 4.2 | 2.1 | 1,226 | 43° south | Temperate |
| Croatia | 4.1 | 1.8 | 1,197 | 45° south | Mediterranean |
| Cyprus | 5.7 | 3.7 | 1,664 | 35° south | Mediterranean |
| Czech Republic | 3.3 | 1.3 | 964 | 50° south | Temperate |
| Denmark | 3.0 | 0.5 | 876 | 56° south | Temperate |
| Estonia | 2.8 | 0.5 | 818 | 59° south | Cold / snowy |
| Finland | 2.7 | 0.3 | 788 | 61° south | Cold / snowy |
| France | 3.9 | 1.5 | 1,139 | 46° south | Temperate |
| Germany | 3.3 | 0.9 | 964 | 51° south | Temperate |
| Greece | 5.1 | 2.8 | 1,489 | 38° south | Mediterranean |
| Hungary | 3.7 | 1.4 | 1,080 | 47° south | Temperate |
| Iceland | 2.1 | 0.2 | 613 | 64° south | Cold / snowy |
| Ireland | 2.8 | 0.8 | 818 | 53° south | Temperate |
| Italy | 4.7 | 2.6 | 1,372 | 42° south | Mediterranean |
| Kosovo | 4.1 | 2.0 | 1,197 | 43° south | Temperate |
| Latvia | 2.9 | 0.5 | 847 | 57° south | Cold / snowy |
| Liechtenstein | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1,051 | 47° south | Highland |
| Lithuania | 3.0 | 0.5 | 876 | 55° south | Temperate |
| Luxembourg | 3.2 | 1.2 | 934 | 50° south | Temperate |
| Malta | 5.6 | 3.6 | 1,635 | 36° south | Mediterranean |
| Moldova | 3.7 | 1.4 | 1,080 | 47° south | Temperate |
| Monaco | 4.7 | 2.6 | 1,372 | 44° south | Mediterranean |
| Montenegro | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1,285 | 42° south | Mediterranean |
| Netherlands | 3.1 | 0.9 | 905 | 52° south | Temperate |
| North Macedonia | 4.3 | 2.1 | 1,256 | 42° south | Temperate |
| Norway | 2.6 | 0.3 | 759 | 60° south | Cold / snowy |
| Poland | 3.2 | 0.9 | 934 | 52° south | Temperate |
| Portugal | 5.1 | 2.8 | 1,489 | 40° south | Mediterranean |
| Romania | 3.9 | 1.5 | 1,139 | 46° south | Temperate |
| Russia | 2.9 | 0.5 | 847 | 56° south | Cold / snowy |
| San Marino | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1,285 | 44° south | Mediterranean |
| Serbia | 4.0 | 2.0 | 1,168 | 44° south | Temperate |
| Slovakia | 3.5 | 1.3 | 1,022 | 49° south | Temperate |
| Slovenia | 3.7 | 1.4 | 1,080 | 46° south | Temperate |
| Spain | 5.2 | 2.9 | 1,518 | 40° south | Mediterranean |
| Sweden | 2.8 | 0.5 | 818 | 59° south | Cold / snowy |
| Switzerland | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1,110 | 47° south | Highland |
| Ukraine | 3.4 | 1.3 | 993 | 49° south | Temperate |
| United Kingdom | 2.9 | 0.8 | 847 | 52° south | Temperate |
Oceania
Australia has an excellent resource, around 5.5 to 6.5 peak sun hours in most populated areas, and one of the world's highest rates of rooftop solar. New Zealand is more temperate at about 4 to 4.5. Pacific islands receive 5 to 6 hours but depend on imported diesel, making solar with battery storage particularly valuable. Cyclone-rated racking and salt-air corrosion resistance are essential on islands.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 6.0 | 4.2 | 1,752 | 30° north | Hot & dry |
| Fiji | 5.2 | 3.5 | 1,518 | 18° north | Tropical |
| Kiribati | 6.0 | 4.5 | 1,752 | 1° south | Tropical |
| Marshall Islands | 5.7 | 4.3 | 1,664 | 7° south | Tropical |
| Micronesia | 5.2 | 3.9 | 1,518 | 7° south | Tropical |
| Nauru | 5.9 | 4.4 | 1,723 | 0° north | Tropical |
| New Zealand | 4.3 | 2.1 | 1,256 | 40° north | Temperate |
| Palau | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1,548 | 8° south | Tropical |
| Papua New Guinea | 4.6 | 3.4 | 1,343 | 6° north | Tropical |
| Samoa | 5.4 | 3.7 | 1,577 | 14° north | Tropical |
| Solomon Islands | 4.8 | 3.6 | 1,402 | 9° north | Tropical |
| Tonga | 5.3 | 3.6 | 1,548 | 21° north | Tropical |
| Tuvalu | 5.8 | 4.3 | 1,694 | 8° north | Tropical |
| Vanuatu | 5.2 | 3.5 | 1,518 | 16° north | Tropical |
East Asia
China averages around 4.5 to 5 peak sun hours in its sunnier north and west, with lower values in the humid, often hazy south-east. Japan and South Korea sit around 4 to 4.3, with a rainy season in early summer. Taiwan and Hong Kong are humid and subtropical, around 3.8 to 4. Rooftop space is often limited in dense cities, which makes high-efficiency monocrystalline panels the usual choice; typhoon regions require racking rated for high winds.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 4.6 | 2.8 | 1,343 | 34° south | Temperate |
| Hong Kong | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1,110 | 22° south | Tropical |
| Japan | 4.1 | 2.5 | 1,197 | 36° south | Temperate |
| North Korea | 4.4 | 2.2 | 1,285 | 39° south | Temperate |
| South Korea | 4.3 | 2.6 | 1,256 | 36° south | Temperate |
| Taiwan | 3.9 | 2.7 | 1,139 | 24° south | Tropical |
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is close to the equator, so the sun is high all year, but heavy cloud and rainy seasons reduce averages to about 4.4 to 5.1 peak sun hours. Seasonal swings are smaller than at higher latitudes, which suits solar for daily air conditioning and refrigeration. Heat and humidity favour panels with low temperature coefficients and corrosion-resistant hardware; shallow tilts of 10 to 15° are common near the equator to let rain clean the panels.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunei | 4.7 | 3.5 | 1,372 | 5° south | Tropical |
| Cambodia | 5.1 | 3.5 | 1,489 | 12° south | Tropical |
| Indonesia | 4.8 | 3.6 | 1,402 | 6° north | Tropical |
| Laos | 4.8 | 3.3 | 1,402 | 18° south | Tropical |
| Malaysia | 4.6 | 3.4 | 1,343 | 4° south | Tropical |
| Myanmar | 5.0 | 3.4 | 1,460 | 20° south | Tropical |
| Philippines | 4.8 | 3.3 | 1,402 | 13° south | Tropical |
| Singapore | 4.4 | 3.3 | 1,285 | 1° south | Tropical |
| Thailand | 4.9 | 3.3 | 1,431 | 15° south | Tropical |
| Timor-Leste | 5.6 | 4.2 | 1,635 | 9° north | Tropical |
| Vietnam | 4.5 | 3.1 | 1,314 | 16° south | Tropical |
South Asia
South Asia has one of the strongest solar resources among the world's most populated regions. Pakistan, India and Afghanistan average roughly 5 to 6 peak sun hours a year on a tilted panel, and dry winter months stay productive. The main design challenges are heat and dust, not lack of sun: summer cell temperatures of 65 °C or more cut output by 12 to 16%, so low-temperature-coefficient panels (TOPCon or HJT) and frequent cleaning pay off. The monsoon reduces output from roughly June to September, especially in Bangladesh, eastern India and Sri Lanka. Where the grid has scheduled outages, hybrid inverters with LiFePO4 batteries are the most popular choice, and inverter (variable-speed) air conditioners are far easier to run on solar than fixed-speed units.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 6.0 | 4.2 | 1,752 | 34° south | Hot & dry |
| Bangladesh | 4.8 | 3.3 | 1,402 | 24° south | Tropical |
| Bhutan | 4.9 | 2.9 | 1,431 | 28° south | Highland |
| India | 5.4 | 3.7 | 1,577 | 21° south | Tropical |
| Maldives | 5.6 | 4.2 | 1,635 | 3° south | Tropical |
| Nepal | 5.1 | 3.1 | 1,489 | 28° south | Highland |
| Pakistan | 5.5 | 3.8 | 1,606 | 30° south | Hot & dry |
| Sri Lanka | 5.2 | 3.9 | 1,518 | 8° south | Tropical |
Middle East
The Gulf states, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman sit in the global sunbelt with about 6 to 6.5 peak sun hours a year. Sunshine is not the limit; heat, dust and sandstorms are. Panels can lose 15 to 20% at midday in summer, and soiling can cost several percent a week without cleaning, so many installations use tilt angles that help rain and cleaning, and choose TOPCon or HJT panels with good temperature coefficients. Because air conditioning dominates demand and peaks with the sun, grid-tied and hybrid systems match load and production well. Turkey, Lebanon and Israel have more Mediterranean seasonality, with noticeably weaker winters.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1,723 | 26° south | Hot & dry |
| Iran | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1,723 | 32° south | Hot & dry |
| Iraq | 5.7 | 4.0 | 1,664 | 33° south | Hot & dry |
| Israel | 6.1 | 4.0 | 1,781 | 32° south | Mediterranean |
| Jordan | 6.3 | 4.4 | 1,840 | 32° south | Hot & dry |
| Kuwait | 6.0 | 4.2 | 1,752 | 29° south | Hot & dry |
| Lebanon | 5.8 | 3.8 | 1,694 | 34° south | Mediterranean |
| Oman | 6.3 | 4.4 | 1,840 | 24° south | Hot & dry |
| Palestine | 6.1 | 4.0 | 1,781 | 32° south | Mediterranean |
| Qatar | 6.0 | 4.2 | 1,752 | 25° south | Hot & dry |
| Saudi Arabia | 6.3 | 4.4 | 1,840 | 24° south | Hot & dry |
| Syria | 5.8 | 4.1 | 1,694 | 35° south | Hot & dry |
| Turkey | 4.9 | 2.7 | 1,431 | 39° south | Mediterranean |
| United Arab Emirates | 6.0 | 4.2 | 1,752 | 24° south | Hot & dry |
| Yemen | 6.4 | 5.1 | 1,869 | 15° south | Hot & dry |
Central Asia & Caucasus
Central Asia is dry and sunny in summer but continental, with cold winters. Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan average around 5 peak sun hours, while Kazakhstan and Mongolia have very sunny but cold winters with snow cover. Cold temperatures raise panel voltage, so string sizing must allow for the record low. Bifacial panels on ground mounts can gain from snow reflection, and batteries need protection from freezing.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armenia | 5.0 | 3.0 | 1,460 | 40° south | Highland |
| Azerbaijan | 4.6 | 2.5 | 1,343 | 40° south | Mediterranean |
| Georgia | 4.3 | 2.1 | 1,256 | 42° south | Temperate |
| Kazakhstan | 4.2 | 1.6 | 1,226 | 48° south | Cold / snowy |
| Kyrgyzstan | 4.7 | 2.8 | 1,372 | 42° south | Highland |
| Mongolia | 4.6 | 1.7 | 1,343 | 48° south | Cold / snowy |
| Tajikistan | 5.1 | 3.1 | 1,489 | 39° south | Highland |
| Turkmenistan | 5.3 | 3.1 | 1,548 | 39° south | Hot & dry |
| Uzbekistan | 5.0 | 2.9 | 1,460 | 41° south | Hot & dry |
Africa
Africa has the world's largest untapped solar potential. The Sahara and Sahel (Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Mauritania) and the southern deserts (Namibia, Botswana) receive more than 6 peak sun hours a year. Equatorial and coastal West and Central Africa are cloudier, around 4.3 to 5.3 hours, with a pronounced rainy season. Off-grid and hybrid systems are widespread because many homes and businesses are far from a reliable grid; LiFePO4 storage and efficient DC appliances make small systems go further. In hot, dusty areas plan for cleaning and heat losses; in humid coastal regions use corrosion-resistant hardware.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 6.2 | 4.3 | 1,810 | 28° south | Hot & dry |
| Angola | 5.7 | 3.9 | 1,664 | 12° north | Tropical |
| Benin | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1,548 | 9° south | Tropical |
| Botswana | 6.2 | 4.3 | 1,810 | 22° north | Hot & dry |
| Burkina Faso | 5.9 | 4.7 | 1,723 | 12° south | Hot & dry |
| Burundi | 5.2 | 3.9 | 1,518 | 3° north | Highland |
| Cameroon | 5.2 | 3.9 | 1,518 | 6° south | Tropical |
| Cape Verde | 6.0 | 4.8 | 1,752 | 15° south | Hot & dry |
| Central African Republic | 5.5 | 4.1 | 1,606 | 7° south | Tropical |
| Chad | 6.2 | 5.0 | 1,810 | 15° south | Hot & dry |
| Comoros | 5.4 | 3.7 | 1,577 | 12° north | Tropical |
| DR Congo | 4.8 | 3.6 | 1,402 | 4° north | Tropical |
| Djibouti | 6.0 | 4.8 | 1,752 | 12° south | Hot & dry |
| Egypt | 6.3 | 4.4 | 1,840 | 27° south | Hot & dry |
| Equatorial Guinea | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1,256 | 2° south | Tropical |
| Eritrea | 6.4 | 5.1 | 1,869 | 15° south | Hot & dry |
| Eswatini | 5.6 | 3.4 | 1,635 | 26° north | Highland |
| Ethiopia | 5.7 | 4.3 | 1,664 | 9° south | Highland |
| Gabon | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1,256 | 0° north | Tropical |
| Gambia | 5.9 | 4.7 | 1,723 | 13° south | Hot & dry |
| Ghana | 5.0 | 3.8 | 1,460 | 8° south | Tropical |
| Guinea | 5.3 | 3.6 | 1,548 | 10° south | Tropical |
| Guinea-Bissau | 5.5 | 3.7 | 1,606 | 12° south | Tropical |
| Ivory Coast | 5.0 | 3.8 | 1,460 | 8° south | Tropical |
| Kenya | 5.6 | 4.2 | 1,635 | 1° north | Highland |
| Lesotho | 6.2 | 3.7 | 1,810 | 30° north | Highland |
| Liberia | 4.8 | 3.6 | 1,402 | 6° south | Tropical |
| Libya | 6.3 | 4.4 | 1,840 | 27° south | Hot & dry |
| Madagascar | 5.7 | 3.9 | 1,664 | 19° north | Tropical |
| Malawi | 5.8 | 3.9 | 1,694 | 14° north | Tropical |
| Mali | 6.1 | 4.9 | 1,781 | 15° south | Hot & dry |
| Mauritania | 6.3 | 4.4 | 1,840 | 20° south | Hot & dry |
| Mauritius | 5.3 | 3.6 | 1,548 | 20° north | Tropical |
| Morocco | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1,723 | 32° south | Hot & dry |
| Mozambique | 5.6 | 3.8 | 1,635 | 18° north | Tropical |
| Namibia | 6.7 | 4.7 | 1,956 | 22° north | Hot & dry |
| Niger | 6.3 | 5.0 | 1,840 | 14° south | Hot & dry |
| Nigeria | 5.4 | 4.1 | 1,577 | 9° south | Tropical |
| Republic of the Congo | 4.6 | 3.4 | 1,343 | 4° north | Tropical |
| Rwanda | 5.0 | 3.8 | 1,460 | 2° north | Highland |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 4.4 | 3.3 | 1,285 | 0° south | Tropical |
| Senegal | 5.9 | 4.7 | 1,723 | 15° south | Hot & dry |
| Seychelles | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1,548 | 5° north | Tropical |
| Sierra Leone | 5.0 | 3.8 | 1,460 | 8° south | Tropical |
| Somalia | 6.1 | 4.9 | 1,781 | 5° south | Hot & dry |
| South Africa | 6.0 | 4.2 | 1,752 | 29° north | Hot & dry |
| South Sudan | 5.7 | 4.3 | 1,664 | 7° south | Tropical |
| Sudan | 6.3 | 5.0 | 1,840 | 16° south | Hot & dry |
| Tanzania | 5.6 | 4.2 | 1,635 | 6° north | Tropical |
| Togo | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1,548 | 9° south | Tropical |
| Tunisia | 5.6 | 3.6 | 1,635 | 34° south | Mediterranean |
| Uganda | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1,548 | 1° south | Tropical |
| Zambia | 6.0 | 4.1 | 1,752 | 15° north | Tropical |
| Zimbabwe | 6.0 | 4.1 | 1,752 | 19° north | Tropical |
South America
South America includes some of the sunniest places on Earth: the Atacama Desert in northern Chile and the Bolivian Altiplano exceed 7 peak sun hours, and much of Brazil, Argentina and Peru gets 5 to 6. The tropical north (Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas) is cloudier, around 4.5 to 5. High-altitude sites combine intense UV with cold nights, so panel UV resistance and cold-morning string voltage checks are important. Large countries vary widely, so always look up your own city.
| Country | Sun hours (year) | Worst month | kWh per kW per year | Best tilt | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 5.3 | 3.2 | 1,548 | 34° north | Temperate |
| Bolivia | 6.2 | 4.7 | 1,810 | 17° north | Highland |
| Brazil | 5.4 | 3.7 | 1,577 | 15° north | Tropical |
| Chile | 6.3 | 4.1 | 1,840 | 33° north | Mediterranean |
| Colombia | 4.6 | 3.4 | 1,343 | 5° south | Tropical |
| Ecuador | 4.7 | 3.5 | 1,372 | 1° north | Highland |
| Guyana | 5.1 | 3.8 | 1,489 | 6° south | Tropical |
| Paraguay | 5.4 | 3.7 | 1,577 | 25° north | Tropical |
| Peru | 5.6 | 4.5 | 1,635 | 12° north | Hot & dry |
| Suriname | 5.1 | 3.8 | 1,489 | 5° south | Tropical |
| Uruguay | 5.0 | 3.0 | 1,460 | 33° north | Temperate |
| Venezuela | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1,548 | 8° south | Tropical |
Which system type should you choose?
- Grid-tied: best where the grid is reliable and exports earn fair credit. Size it from your yearly use. See off-grid vs grid-tied.
- Hybrid (solar + battery + grid): best where outages or load shedding are common, or where export rates are low. See hybrid vs off-grid vs grid-tie inverters.
- Off-grid: for places without a grid connection. Size for the worst month and add a generator in cloudy climates. See winter off-grid solar.
About this data
Values on this page are approximate long-term averages compiled for planning purposes and rounded to 0.1 hour. They are not a substitute for a site-specific solar assessment. Local shading, altitude, air pollution, panel orientation and microclimate can change your real production by 10 to 30%. We review this page periodically; if you spot a value that looks wrong for your country, please contact us.
Sources and further reading
- Global Solar Atlas (World Bank): sun data and solar potential for any location.
- European Commission JRC: PVGIS: free solar output and optimum-tilt tool for Europe and most of the world.
- NREL PVWatts Calculator: solar output estimate for any address.
- Natural Resources Canada: Photovoltaic Potential Maps: solar potential for Canadian municipalities.