Peak Sun Hours in Bunia, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- February (5.8)
- Worst month
- July (4.8)
- Climate
- Tropical · 22.8°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.57 | 6.79 | 3.81 | 2.48 | 24.0 | 62 |
| Feb | 5.75 | 7.17 | 3.77 | 2.56 | 24.9 | 61 |
| Mar | 5.58 | 7.38 | 3.38 | 2.58 | 23.8 | 73 |
| Apr | 5.52 | 7.31 | 3.47 | 2.50 | 22.7 | 79 |
| May | 5.37 | 6.93 | 3.65 | 2.35 | 22.4 | 80 |
| Jun | 4.96 | 6.41 | 3.09 | 2.30 | 22.4 | 75 |
| Jul | 4.75 | 6.32 | 2.62 | 2.33 | 22.3 | 74 |
| Aug | 4.86 | 6.74 | 2.56 | 2.35 | 22.2 | 77 |
| Sep | 5.18 | 7.24 | 3.03 | 2.37 | 22.2 | 78 |
| Oct | 5.09 | 7.29 | 2.89 | 2.42 | 21.8 | 81 |
| Nov | 5.10 | 7.00 | 3.26 | 2.34 | 21.6 | 81 |
| Dec | 5.33 | 6.72 | 3.79 | 2.33 | 22.7 | 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 4.75 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Bunia
Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.26 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Bunia is February (winter) at 5.75 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is July (summer) at 4.75 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.
Bunia'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 Bunia?
- Bunia averages 5.26 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.75 in July to 5.75 in February.
- How many solar panels do I need in Bunia?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Bunia's annual average of 5.26 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 Bunia?
- Sizing against Bunia's worst month (July, 4.75 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 Bunia's solar resource compare globally?
- Bunia sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.26 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.
- How does the wet season affect solar generation in Bunia?
- Bunia's dry-season output peaks at 5.75 kWh/m²/day in February; the wet season drops it to 4.75 in July. That ~19% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Bunia?
- Most tier-1 PV panels are rated for 140+ mph wind loads; mounting hardware usually fails first. In cyclone-prone regions like Democratic Republic of the Congo, specify IEC 61215-certified panels and anchor-bolt mounts rather than ballasted.
- What's the dry-to-wet output gap in Bunia?
- Bunia swings from 5.75 kWh/m²/day in February (dry) to 4.75 in July (wet) — roughly 19%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.