Peak Sun Hours in Mwene, Lualaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- May (5.6)
- Worst month
- January (4.9)
- Climate
- Tropical · 23.6°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.90 | 7.51 | 2.00 | 2.72 | 22.6 | 83 |
| Feb | 5.10 | 7.54 | 2.34 | 2.68 | 23.1 | 81 |
| Mar | 5.26 | 7.33 | 2.80 | 2.62 | 23.1 | 81 |
| Apr | 5.49 | 6.80 | 4.04 | 2.30 | 23.2 | 77 |
| May | 5.60 | 6.05 | 5.53 | 1.75 | 23.2 | 59 |
| Jun | 5.35 | 5.53 | 5.48 | 1.62 | 21.9 | 47 |
| Jul | 5.29 | 5.45 | 4.98 | 1.80 | 22.2 | 38 |
| Aug | 5.03 | 5.48 | 3.50 | 2.25 | 25.0 | 33 |
| Sep | 5.13 | 6.12 | 2.76 | 2.53 | 26.8 | 43 |
| Oct | 5.37 | 6.93 | 2.78 | 2.65 | 25.7 | 63 |
| Nov | 5.22 | 7.48 | 2.45 | 2.75 | 23.6 | 78 |
| Dec | 4.90 | 7.59 | 2.03 | 2.71 | 22.8 | 82 |
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 4.90 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Mwene
Mwene, Democratic Republic of the Congo has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.22 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Mwene is May (autumn) at 5.6 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is January (summer) at 4.9 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the January value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Mwene'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 Mwene?
- Mwene averages 5.22 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.9 in January to 5.6 in May.
- How many solar panels do I need in Mwene?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Mwene's annual average of 5.22 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 Mwene?
- Sizing against Mwene's worst month (January, 4.9 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 Mwene's solar resource compare globally?
- Mwene sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.22 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 Mwene?
- Mwene's dry-season output peaks at 5.6 kWh/m²/day in May; the wet season drops it to 4.9 in January. That ~13% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Mwene?
- 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 Mwene?
- Mwene swings from 5.6 kWh/m²/day in May (dry) to 4.9 in January (wet) — roughly 13%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.