Peak Sun Hours in Ciudad Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- June (6.8)
- Worst month
- December (3.8)
- Climate
- Tropical · 22.7°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.97 | 4.90 | 5.47 | 1.27 | 13.8 | 60 |
| Feb | 4.86 | 5.86 | 6.13 | 1.43 | 16.7 | 56 |
| Mar | 5.73 | 6.97 | 6.30 | 1.71 | 20.6 | 53 |
| Apr | 6.39 | 7.77 | 6.21 | 2.05 | 24.7 | 51 |
| May | 6.49 | 8.02 | 5.83 | 2.16 | 27.6 | 55 |
| Jun | 6.76 | 8.20 | 6.27 | 2.14 | 29.2 | 57 |
| Jul | 6.43 | 8.02 | 5.50 | 2.27 | 28.7 | 59 |
| Aug | 6.42 | 7.66 | 6.05 | 2.05 | 29.0 | 58 |
| Sep | 5.21 | 6.85 | 4.72 | 1.99 | 25.9 | 70 |
| Oct | 4.98 | 5.98 | 6.14 | 1.38 | 22.8 | 67 |
| Nov | 4.21 | 5.04 | 6.02 | 1.15 | 18.1 | 64 |
| Dec | 3.79 | 4.58 | 5.63 | 1.14 | 14.6 | 60 |
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 3.79 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Ciudad Apodaca
Ciudad Apodaca, Mexico has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.44 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Ciudad Apodaca is June (summer) at 6.76 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 3.79 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.
Ciudad Apodaca'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 Ciudad Apodaca?
- Ciudad Apodaca averages 5.44 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.79 in December to 6.76 in June.
- How many solar panels do I need in Ciudad Apodaca?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Ciudad Apodaca's annual average of 5.44 kWh/m²/day, a 5 kWh/day load needs roughly 3 × 400 W panels. Use the calculator above for your actual load.
- What size battery do I need in Ciudad Apodaca?
- Sizing against Ciudad Apodaca's worst month (December, 3.79 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 Ciudad Apodaca's solar resource compare globally?
- Ciudad Apodaca sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.44 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 Ciudad Apodaca?
- Ciudad Apodaca's dry-season output peaks at 6.76 kWh/m²/day in June; the wet season drops it to 3.79 in December. That ~55% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Ciudad Apodaca?
- 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 Ciudad Apodaca?
- Ciudad Apodaca swings from 6.76 kWh/m²/day in June (dry) to 3.79 in December (wet) — roughly 55%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.