Peak Sun Hours in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- May (7.2)
- Worst month
- August (3.8)
- Climate
- Tropical · 25.3°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.31 | 4.61 | 5.10 | 1.48 | 17.2 | 42 |
| Feb | 5.29 | 5.56 | 5.80 | 1.68 | 20.8 | 35 |
| Mar | 6.31 | 6.65 | 6.26 | 1.93 | 25.9 | 27 |
| Apr | 7.09 | 7.43 | 6.57 | 2.11 | 31.4 | 20 |
| May | 7.16 | 7.63 | 5.96 | 2.42 | 34.9 | 24 |
| Jun | 5.76 | 7.24 | 3.59 | 2.67 | 32.0 | 53 |
| Jul | 4.09 | 6.91 | 1.36 | 2.59 | 27.2 | 81 |
| Aug | 3.83 | 6.73 | 1.19 | 2.52 | 25.9 | 88 |
| Sep | 4.92 | 6.29 | 3.31 | 2.32 | 25.5 | 83 |
| Oct | 5.28 | 5.65 | 5.35 | 1.73 | 23.8 | 69 |
| Nov | 4.52 | 4.70 | 5.17 | 1.48 | 20.7 | 58 |
| Dec | 4.17 | 4.32 | 5.46 | 1.26 | 17.9 | 49 |
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 3.83 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Bhopal
Bhopal, India has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.23 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Bhopal is May (spring) at 7.16 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is August (summer) at 3.83 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the August value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Bhopal'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 Bhopal?
- Bhopal averages 5.23 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.83 in August to 7.16 in May.
- How many solar panels do I need in Bhopal?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Bhopal's annual average of 5.23 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 Bhopal?
- Sizing against Bhopal's worst month (August, 3.83 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 Bhopal's solar resource compare globally?
- Bhopal sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.23 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 Bhopal?
- Bhopal's dry-season output peaks at 7.16 kWh/m²/day in May; the wet season drops it to 3.83 in August. That ~64% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Bhopal?
- Most tier-1 PV panels are rated for 140+ mph wind loads; mounting hardware usually fails first. In cyclone-prone regions like India, specify IEC 61215-certified panels and anchor-bolt mounts rather than ballasted.
- What's the dry-to-wet output gap in Bhopal?
- Bhopal swings from 7.16 kWh/m²/day in May (dry) to 3.83 in August (wet) — roughly 64%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.