Peak Sun Hours in Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- May (5.7)
- Worst month
- December (2.2)
- Climate
- Temperate · 13.5°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.44 | 2.98 | 3.20 | 1.12 | 1.5 | 70 |
| Feb | 3.14 | 3.91 | 3.25 | 1.47 | 2.4 | 71 |
| Mar | 4.49 | 5.29 | 4.19 | 1.90 | 5.8 | 73 |
| Apr | 5.25 | 6.44 | 4.16 | 2.26 | 10.5 | 75 |
| May | 5.70 | 7.18 | 4.08 | 2.55 | 16.0 | 77 |
| Jun | 5.34 | 7.00 | 3.01 | 2.74 | 20.7 | 83 |
| Jul | 4.72 | 6.75 | 2.37 | 2.62 | 24.7 | 87 |
| Aug | 4.66 | 6.40 | 2.90 | 2.39 | 25.8 | 83 |
| Sep | 4.31 | 5.53 | 3.50 | 1.96 | 22.5 | 74 |
| Oct | 3.52 | 4.23 | 3.50 | 1.54 | 17.4 | 69 |
| Nov | 2.60 | 3.15 | 3.23 | 1.14 | 10.9 | 70 |
| Dec | 2.19 | 2.70 | 3.23 | 0.96 | 4.2 | 71 |
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 2.19 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Qingdao
Qingdao, China has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.03 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Qingdao is May (spring) at 5.7 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 2.19 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.
Qingdao'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 Qingdao?
- Qingdao averages 4.03 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 2.19 in December to 5.7 in May.
- How many solar panels do I need in Qingdao?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Qingdao's annual average of 4.03 kWh/m²/day, a 5 kWh/day load needs roughly 5 × 400 W panels. Use the calculator above for your actual load.
- What size battery do I need in Qingdao?
- Sizing against Qingdao's worst month (December, 2.19 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 Qingdao's solar resource compare globally?
- Qingdao sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.03 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 Qingdao?
- Qingdao's worst month (December) delivers 2.19 kWh/m²/day — about 38% of the summer peak of 5.7. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Qingdao's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Qingdao's 4.03 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Qingdao?
- At Qingdao's latitude (36°), a fixed tilt near 36° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.