Peak Sun Hours in Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- April (5.8)
- Worst month
- December (3.5)
- Climate
- Temperate · 15.3°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.00 | 4.80 | 5.62 | 1.19 | 7.7 | 74 |
| Feb | 4.94 | 5.76 | 6.22 | 1.42 | 10.1 | 66 |
| Mar | 5.46 | 6.63 | 5.17 | 2.03 | 13.4 | 61 |
| Apr | 5.77 | 7.43 | 4.66 | 2.38 | 16.8 | 60 |
| May | 5.42 | 7.83 | 3.54 | 2.62 | 19.4 | 64 |
| Jun | 4.66 | 7.77 | 1.86 | 2.89 | 20.9 | 72 |
| Jul | 4.30 | 7.72 | 1.43 | 2.86 | 20.6 | 75 |
| Aug | 4.47 | 7.34 | 1.87 | 2.81 | 20.3 | 76 |
| Sep | 3.78 | 6.57 | 1.79 | 2.36 | 18.8 | 76 |
| Oct | 3.54 | 5.65 | 2.62 | 1.84 | 15.8 | 78 |
| Nov | 3.83 | 4.88 | 4.54 | 1.42 | 11.7 | 76 |
| Dec | 3.46 | 4.38 | 4.63 | 1.21 | 8.2 | 78 |
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 3.46 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Kunming
Kunming, China has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.47 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Kunming is April (spring) at 5.77 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 3.46 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the December value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Kunming'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 Kunming?
- Kunming averages 4.47 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.46 in December to 5.77 in April.
- How many solar panels do I need in Kunming?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Kunming's annual average of 4.47 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 Kunming?
- Sizing against Kunming's worst month (December, 3.46 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 Kunming's solar resource compare globally?
- Kunming sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.47 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.
- How much does winter reduce solar output in Kunming?
- Kunming's worst month (December) delivers 3.46 kWh/m²/day — about 60% of the summer peak of 5.77. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Kunming's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Kunming's 4.47 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Kunming?
- At Kunming's latitude (25°), a fixed tilt near 25° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.