Peak Sun Hours in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- November (6.6)
- Worst month
- June (4.6)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 27.0°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.03 | 7.40 | 4.64 | 2.35 | 27.4 | 77 |
| Feb | 6.00 | 7.45 | 4.38 | 2.40 | 27.7 | 78 |
| Mar | 5.85 | 7.34 | 4.36 | 2.28 | 27.9 | 79 |
| Apr | 5.33 | 6.87 | 4.05 | 2.14 | 27.8 | 80 |
| May | 5.10 | 6.32 | 4.48 | 1.88 | 27.5 | 80 |
| Jun | 4.63 | 6.02 | 4.13 | 1.77 | 26.7 | 80 |
| Jul | 4.89 | 6.19 | 4.51 | 1.76 | 26.0 | 80 |
| Aug | 5.70 | 6.70 | 5.27 | 1.88 | 25.8 | 78 |
| Sep | 6.29 | 7.18 | 5.49 | 2.06 | 26.0 | 76 |
| Oct | 6.54 | 7.51 | 5.73 | 2.13 | 26.5 | 75 |
| Nov | 6.61 | 7.54 | 5.91 | 2.16 | 27.0 | 75 |
| Dec | 6.33 | 7.36 | 5.43 | 2.24 | 27.3 | 75 |
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 4.63 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Natal
Natal, 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 5.78 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Natal is November (spring) at 6.61 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is June (winter) at 4.63 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the June value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Natal'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 Natal?
- Natal averages 5.78 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.63 in June to 6.61 in November.
- How many solar panels do I need in Natal?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Natal's annual average of 5.78 kWh/m²/day, a 5 kWh/day load needs roughly 3 × 400 W panels. Use the calculator above for your actual load.
- What size battery do I need in Natal?
- Sizing against Natal's worst month (June, 4.63 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 Natal's solar resource compare globally?
- Natal sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.78 kWh/m²/day — excellent 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 Natal?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Natal, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.63 to 6.61 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Natal?
- At latitude 6°, panels in Natal work best at a low tilt (roughly 6°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Natal?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Natal's worst month (June) still delivers 4.63 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.