Peak Sun Hours in Catania, Sicily, Italy
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- July (7.4)
- Worst month
- December (2.0)
- Climate
- Temperate · 17.0°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.34 | 3.11 | 3.52 | 0.99 | 8.4 | 83 |
| Feb | 3.13 | 4.17 | 3.79 | 1.33 | 8.6 | 81 |
| Mar | 4.28 | 5.52 | 4.23 | 1.78 | 11.1 | 77 |
| Apr | 5.47 | 6.77 | 4.66 | 2.25 | 14.1 | 73 |
| May | 6.62 | 7.69 | 5.70 | 2.47 | 18.4 | 65 |
| Jun | 7.35 | 8.08 | 6.79 | 2.32 | 23.6 | 56 |
| Jul | 7.44 | 7.80 | 7.23 | 2.13 | 27.2 | 49 |
| Aug | 6.53 | 6.94 | 6.39 | 2.01 | 27.3 | 51 |
| Sep | 4.85 | 5.77 | 4.70 | 1.86 | 22.8 | 65 |
| Oct | 3.53 | 4.42 | 3.99 | 1.45 | 18.6 | 75 |
| Nov | 2.51 | 3.29 | 3.39 | 1.10 | 13.8 | 82 |
| Dec | 2.04 | 2.76 | 3.18 | 0.89 | 9.9 | 83 |
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 2.04 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Catania
Catania, Italy has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.67 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Catania is July (summer) at 7.44 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 2.04 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.
Catania'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 Catania?
- Catania averages 4.67 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 2.04 in December to 7.44 in July.
- How many solar panels do I need in Catania?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Catania's annual average of 4.67 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 Catania?
- Sizing against Catania's worst month (December, 2.04 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 Catania's solar resource compare globally?
- Catania sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.67 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 Catania?
- Catania's worst month (December) delivers 2.04 kWh/m²/day — about 27% of the summer peak of 7.44. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Catania's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Catania's 4.67 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Catania?
- At Catania's latitude (37°), a fixed tilt near 37° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.