Peak Sun Hours in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- July (6.5)
- Worst month
- December (3.8)
- Climate
- Tropical · 26.5°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.93 | 4.99 | 4.39 | 1.58 | 23.9 | 76 |
| Feb | 4.85 | 5.79 | 5.19 | 1.72 | 24.6 | 76 |
| Mar | 5.88 | 6.71 | 5.74 | 2.01 | 25.3 | 72 |
| Apr | 6.46 | 7.25 | 5.74 | 2.25 | 26.6 | 73 |
| May | 6.46 | 7.45 | 5.23 | 2.45 | 27.6 | 75 |
| Jun | 5.95 | 7.43 | 4.15 | 2.59 | 27.8 | 81 |
| Jul | 6.49 | 7.38 | 4.92 | 2.57 | 28.1 | 81 |
| Aug | 6.29 | 7.21 | 5.06 | 2.39 | 28.4 | 80 |
| Sep | 5.55 | 6.69 | 4.68 | 2.20 | 28.0 | 82 |
| Oct | 4.73 | 5.93 | 4.48 | 1.89 | 27.0 | 82 |
| Nov | 4.14 | 5.14 | 4.67 | 1.58 | 25.4 | 79 |
| Dec | 3.80 | 4.70 | 4.59 | 1.47 | 24.7 | 79 |
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 3.80 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Cancún
Cancún, Mexico has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.38 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Cancún is July (summer) at 6.49 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 3.8 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.
Cancún'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 Cancún?
- Cancún averages 5.38 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.8 in December to 6.49 in July.
- How many solar panels do I need in Cancún?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Cancún's annual average of 5.38 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 Cancún?
- Sizing against Cancún's worst month (December, 3.8 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 Cancún's solar resource compare globally?
- Cancún sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.38 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 Cancún?
- Cancún's dry-season output peaks at 6.49 kWh/m²/day in July; the wet season drops it to 3.8 in December. That ~50% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Cancún?
- Most tier-1 PV panels are rated for 140+ mph wind loads; mounting hardware usually fails first. In cyclone-prone regions like Mexico, specify IEC 61215-certified panels and anchor-bolt mounts rather than ballasted.
- What's the dry-to-wet output gap in Cancún?
- Cancún swings from 6.49 kWh/m²/day in July (dry) to 3.8 in December (wet) — roughly 50%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.