Peak Sun Hours in Lisala, Mongala, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- January (5.4)
- Worst month
- July (4.3)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.8°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.42 | 6.26 | 3.52 | 2.53 | 26.9 | 70 |
| Feb | 5.31 | 6.51 | 2.88 | 2.70 | 27.8 | 70 |
| Mar | 5.29 | 6.79 | 2.57 | 2.75 | 26.8 | 78 |
| Apr | 5.17 | 6.94 | 2.70 | 2.61 | 26.1 | 83 |
| May | 4.94 | 6.62 | 2.79 | 2.44 | 25.9 | 83 |
| Jun | 4.44 | 6.10 | 2.05 | 2.39 | 25.4 | 83 |
| Jul | 4.33 | 6.00 | 1.85 | 2.37 | 25.1 | 83 |
| Aug | 4.51 | 6.42 | 1.96 | 2.39 | 24.8 | 86 |
| Sep | 4.98 | 6.93 | 2.57 | 2.45 | 24.9 | 85 |
| Oct | 4.76 | 6.99 | 2.40 | 2.44 | 24.9 | 86 |
| Nov | 4.80 | 6.57 | 2.81 | 2.36 | 24.9 | 87 |
| Dec | 5.14 | 6.11 | 3.30 | 2.44 | 25.6 | 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 4.33 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Lisala
Lisala, 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 4.92 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Lisala is January (winter) at 5.42 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is July (summer) at 4.33 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.
Lisala'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 Lisala?
- Lisala averages 4.92 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.33 in July to 5.42 in January.
- How many solar panels do I need in Lisala?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Lisala's annual average of 4.92 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 Lisala?
- Sizing against Lisala's worst month (July, 4.33 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 Lisala's solar resource compare globally?
- Lisala sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.92 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 Lisala?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Lisala, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.33 to 5.42 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Lisala?
- At latitude 2°, panels in Lisala 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 Lisala?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Lisala's worst month (July) still delivers 4.33 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.