Peak Sun Hours in Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- July (7.2)
- Worst month
- December (1.5)
- Climate
- Temperate · 16.7°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.76 | 2.40 | 3.05 | 0.78 | 10.7 | 72 |
| Feb | 2.65 | 3.54 | 3.81 | 1.09 | 10.5 | 72 |
| Mar | 3.97 | 5.08 | 4.61 | 1.55 | 12.1 | 74 |
| Apr | 5.17 | 6.59 | 5.07 | 1.99 | 14.2 | 77 |
| May | 6.17 | 7.71 | 5.61 | 2.37 | 17.4 | 77 |
| Jun | 7.13 | 8.17 | 6.89 | 2.33 | 21.3 | 77 |
| Jul | 7.19 | 7.89 | 7.55 | 2.01 | 23.9 | 74 |
| Aug | 6.26 | 6.90 | 6.84 | 1.84 | 24.3 | 73 |
| Sep | 4.67 | 5.47 | 5.49 | 1.58 | 21.5 | 72 |
| Oct | 3.07 | 3.88 | 4.01 | 1.25 | 18.2 | 75 |
| Nov | 1.92 | 2.61 | 3.05 | 0.86 | 14.6 | 73 |
| Dec | 1.53 | 2.06 | 3.01 | 0.65 | 11.9 | 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 1.53 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Nice
Nice, France has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.29 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Nice is July (summer) at 7.19 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 1.53 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.
Nice'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 Nice?
- Nice averages 4.29 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 1.53 in December to 7.19 in July.
- How many solar panels do I need in Nice?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Nice's annual average of 4.29 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 Nice?
- Sizing against Nice's worst month (December, 1.53 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 Nice's solar resource compare globally?
- Nice sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.29 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 Nice?
- Nice's worst month (December) delivers 1.53 kWh/m²/day — about 21% of the summer peak of 7.19. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Nice's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Nice's 4.29 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Nice?
- At Nice's latitude (44°), a fixed tilt near 44° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.