Peak Sun Hours in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- May (6.6)
- Worst month
- December (3.0)
- Climate
- Tropical · 26.6°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.11 | 3.72 | 2.43 | 1.64 | 16.1 | 46 |
| Feb | 4.47 | 4.90 | 3.93 | 1.91 | 20.3 | 41 |
| Mar | 5.76 | 6.13 | 5.04 | 2.15 | 26.5 | 29 |
| Apr | 6.56 | 6.87 | 5.25 | 2.41 | 32.6 | 22 |
| May | 6.59 | 6.99 | 4.50 | 2.77 | 36.0 | 26 |
| Jun | 5.65 | 6.86 | 3.05 | 2.86 | 35.6 | 43 |
| Jul | 4.62 | 6.79 | 1.98 | 2.67 | 30.8 | 74 |
| Aug | 4.80 | 6.58 | 2.47 | 2.57 | 29.3 | 82 |
| Sep | 4.71 | 5.97 | 2.81 | 2.40 | 28.3 | 81 |
| Oct | 4.68 | 5.13 | 3.94 | 1.95 | 25.8 | 68 |
| Nov | 3.83 | 3.96 | 3.44 | 1.70 | 21.2 | 58 |
| Dec | 2.97 | 3.33 | 2.51 | 1.52 | 16.9 | 51 |
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 2.97 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Varanasi
Varanasi, India has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.81 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Varanasi is May (spring) at 6.59 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 2.97 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.
Varanasi'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 Varanasi?
- Varanasi averages 4.81 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 2.97 in December to 6.59 in May.
- How many solar panels do I need in Varanasi?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Varanasi's annual average of 4.81 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 Varanasi?
- Sizing against Varanasi's worst month (December, 2.97 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 Varanasi's solar resource compare globally?
- Varanasi sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.81 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 does the wet season affect solar generation in Varanasi?
- Varanasi's dry-season output peaks at 6.59 kWh/m²/day in May; the wet season drops it to 2.97 in December. That ~75% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Varanasi?
- 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 Varanasi?
- Varanasi swings from 6.59 kWh/m²/day in May (dry) to 2.97 in December (wet) — roughly 75%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.