Peak Sun Hours in Macapá, Amapá, Brazil
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- September (6.1)
- Worst month
- February (4.2)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 26.6°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.40 | 6.76 | 2.33 | 2.29 | 26.4 | 84 |
| Feb | 4.15 | 6.98 | 1.63 | 2.32 | 25.7 | 89 |
| Mar | 4.26 | 7.12 | 1.65 | 2.35 | 25.7 | 91 |
| Apr | 4.31 | 6.98 | 1.84 | 2.32 | 25.7 | 92 |
| May | 4.53 | 6.67 | 2.70 | 2.18 | 25.8 | 92 |
| Jun | 4.89 | 6.48 | 3.77 | 2.03 | 25.6 | 91 |
| Jul | 5.24 | 6.57 | 4.44 | 1.95 | 25.7 | 90 |
| Aug | 5.85 | 6.86 | 5.10 | 1.96 | 26.2 | 87 |
| Sep | 6.14 | 7.08 | 5.19 | 2.02 | 27.1 | 81 |
| Oct | 5.94 | 7.09 | 4.90 | 2.11 | 28.4 | 71 |
| Nov | 5.49 | 6.85 | 4.45 | 2.14 | 28.9 | 68 |
| Dec | 4.73 | 6.62 | 3.25 | 2.16 | 27.7 | 76 |
GHI, Clear-sky, DNI, DHI in kWh/m²/day. Data: NASA POWER climatology (long-term monthly averages).
Off-grid calculator
Add appliances
- Add an appliance to size a system.
Sizing
- Daily load
- 0.00 kWh
- Panel wattage
- 0 W
- Panel count (400W modules)
- 0
- Battery bank
- 0.0 kWh
Sizing against worst-month PSH of 4.15 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Macapá
Macapá, Brazil sits near the equator, where day length is stable year-round and the sun passes close to overhead. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.99 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Macapá is September (autumn) at 6.14 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is February (winter) at 4.15 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the February value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Macapá's solar conditions are well within the range where off-grid PV is a straightforward engineering exercise with standard-sized arrays and lithium batteries.
FAQ
- What are the peak sun hours in Macapá?
- Macapá averages 4.99 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.15 in February to 6.14 in September.
- How many solar panels do I need in Macapá?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Macapá's annual average of 4.99 kWh/m²/day, a 5 kWh/day load needs roughly 4 × 400 W panels. Use the calculator above for your actual load.
- What size battery do I need in Macapá?
- Sizing against Macapá's worst month (February, 4.15 kWh/m²/day) with 2 days of autonomy at 80% depth of discharge, a 5 kWh/day load needs about a 12.5 kWh battery bank.
- How does Macapá's solar resource compare globally?
- Macapá sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.99 kWh/m²/day — good by global standards. For reference, top-tier desert sites average ~6.5 and high-latitude cities around 2.5 kWh/m²/day.
- Why doesn't solar output vary much by month in Macapá?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Macapá, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.15 to 6.14 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Macapá?
- At latitude 0°, panels in Macapá work best at a low tilt (roughly 0°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Macapá?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Macapá's worst month (February) still delivers 4.15 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.