Peak Sun Hours in Montpellier, Occitanie, France
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- July (7.0)
- Worst month
- December (1.5)
- Climate
- Temperate · 15.1°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.67 | 2.40 | 2.78 | 0.78 | 7.1 | 82 |
| Feb | 2.62 | 3.55 | 3.68 | 1.12 | 7.4 | 78 |
| Mar | 3.79 | 5.11 | 4.19 | 1.61 | 10.3 | 76 |
| Apr | 4.94 | 6.64 | 4.70 | 2.02 | 13.4 | 73 |
| May | 5.97 | 7.76 | 5.22 | 2.42 | 17.0 | 70 |
| Jun | 6.92 | 8.19 | 6.43 | 2.47 | 21.8 | 63 |
| Jul | 6.97 | 7.89 | 6.93 | 2.20 | 24.5 | 57 |
| Aug | 5.95 | 6.91 | 6.13 | 1.98 | 24.1 | 59 |
| Sep | 4.53 | 5.49 | 5.12 | 1.65 | 20.2 | 66 |
| Oct | 2.80 | 3.89 | 3.55 | 1.21 | 16.3 | 76 |
| Nov | 1.88 | 2.64 | 2.99 | 0.84 | 11.4 | 80 |
| Dec | 1.47 | 2.06 | 2.69 | 0.68 | 7.9 | 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 1.47 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Montpellier
Montpellier, France has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.13 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Montpellier is July (summer) at 6.97 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 1.47 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.
Montpellier'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 Montpellier?
- Montpellier averages 4.13 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 1.47 in December to 6.97 in July.
- How many solar panels do I need in Montpellier?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Montpellier's annual average of 4.13 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 Montpellier?
- Sizing against Montpellier's worst month (December, 1.47 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 Montpellier's solar resource compare globally?
- Montpellier sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.13 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 Montpellier?
- Montpellier's worst month (December) delivers 1.47 kWh/m²/day — about 21% of the summer peak of 6.97. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Montpellier's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Montpellier's 4.13 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Montpellier?
- At Montpellier's latitude (44°), a fixed tilt near 44° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.