Peak Sun Hours in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- September (5.3)
- Worst month
- May (4.2)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 27.0°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.45 | 6.93 | 2.04 | 2.40 | 26.5 | 87 |
| Feb | 4.44 | 7.06 | 1.84 | 2.43 | 26.2 | 89 |
| Mar | 4.43 | 7.01 | 1.74 | 2.45 | 26.2 | 89 |
| Apr | 4.31 | 6.67 | 1.82 | 2.38 | 26.1 | 89 |
| May | 4.16 | 6.20 | 2.13 | 2.20 | 26.2 | 89 |
| Jun | 4.59 | 6.01 | 3.44 | 1.99 | 26.0 | 89 |
| Jul | 5.00 | 6.14 | 4.06 | 1.95 | 26.3 | 86 |
| Aug | 5.28 | 6.39 | 3.83 | 2.14 | 27.6 | 79 |
| Sep | 5.30 | 6.70 | 3.21 | 2.39 | 28.9 | 72 |
| Oct | 5.03 | 6.81 | 2.54 | 2.56 | 29.2 | 72 |
| Nov | 4.67 | 6.66 | 2.14 | 2.52 | 28.4 | 77 |
| Dec | 4.27 | 6.66 | 1.94 | 2.33 | 27.1 | 84 |
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 4.16 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Manaus
Manaus, 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 4.66 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Manaus is September (spring) at 5.3 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is May (autumn) at 4.16 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the May value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Manaus'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 Manaus?
- Manaus averages 4.66 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.16 in May to 5.3 in September.
- How many solar panels do I need in Manaus?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Manaus's annual average of 4.66 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 Manaus?
- Sizing against Manaus's worst month (May, 4.16 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 Manaus's solar resource compare globally?
- Manaus sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.66 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 Manaus?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Manaus, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.16 to 5.3 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Manaus?
- At latitude 3°, panels in Manaus work best at a low tilt (roughly 3°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Manaus?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Manaus's worst month (May) still delivers 4.16 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.