Peak Sun Hours in Bumba, Mongala, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- January (5.4)
- Worst month
- July (4.4)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.8°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.43 | 6.32 | 3.46 | 2.58 | 27.2 | 68 |
| Feb | 5.32 | 6.60 | 2.90 | 2.70 | 28.1 | 68 |
| Mar | 5.30 | 6.87 | 2.57 | 2.76 | 27.0 | 76 |
| Apr | 5.18 | 7.02 | 2.74 | 2.59 | 26.0 | 83 |
| May | 4.97 | 6.71 | 2.83 | 2.44 | 25.9 | 83 |
| Jun | 4.50 | 6.17 | 2.12 | 2.41 | 25.3 | 83 |
| Jul | 4.43 | 6.06 | 2.00 | 2.38 | 25.0 | 84 |
| Aug | 4.60 | 6.48 | 2.00 | 2.44 | 24.7 | 87 |
| Sep | 5.02 | 7.01 | 2.63 | 2.46 | 24.8 | 86 |
| Oct | 4.77 | 7.07 | 2.46 | 2.43 | 24.8 | 87 |
| Nov | 4.79 | 6.63 | 2.74 | 2.38 | 24.9 | 88 |
| Dec | 5.12 | 6.16 | 3.20 | 2.48 | 25.5 | 81 |
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 4.43 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Bumba
Bumba, Democratic Republic of the Congo sits near the equator, where day length is stable year-round and the sun passes close to overhead. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.95 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Bumba is January (winter) at 5.43 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is July (summer) at 4.43 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the July value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Bumba'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 Bumba?
- Bumba averages 4.95 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.43 in July to 5.43 in January.
- How many solar panels do I need in Bumba?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Bumba's annual average of 4.95 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 Bumba?
- Sizing against Bumba's worst month (July, 4.43 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 Bumba's solar resource compare globally?
- Bumba sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.95 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 Bumba?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Bumba, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.43 to 5.43 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Bumba?
- At latitude 2°, panels in Bumba work best at a low tilt (roughly 2°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Bumba?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Bumba's worst month (July) still delivers 4.43 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.