Peak Sun Hours in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- June (7.2)
- Worst month
- December (3.2)
- Climate
- Temperate · 17.6°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.55 | 4.18 | 5.72 | 1.09 | 13.9 | 66 |
| Feb | 4.37 | 5.27 | 5.86 | 1.47 | 13.8 | 68 |
| Mar | 5.66 | 6.63 | 6.72 | 1.78 | 14.6 | 70 |
| Apr | 6.78 | 7.82 | 7.57 | 1.92 | 15.4 | 70 |
| May | 7.08 | 8.52 | 7.39 | 2.08 | 16.9 | 70 |
| Jun | 7.16 | 8.73 | 7.34 | 2.10 | 19.1 | 66 |
| Jul | 6.87 | 8.27 | 6.60 | 2.31 | 22.1 | 63 |
| Aug | 6.66 | 7.69 | 6.89 | 2.09 | 22.9 | 62 |
| Sep | 5.92 | 6.74 | 6.87 | 1.70 | 22.5 | 61 |
| Oct | 4.83 | 5.55 | 6.45 | 1.39 | 19.7 | 64 |
| Nov | 3.81 | 4.39 | 6.01 | 1.12 | 16.8 | 64 |
| Dec | 3.23 | 3.83 | 5.49 | 1.01 | 14.0 | 67 |
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 3.23 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Ensenada
Ensenada, Mexico has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.49 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Ensenada is June (summer) at 7.16 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 3.23 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.
Ensenada'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 Ensenada?
- Ensenada averages 5.49 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.23 in December to 7.16 in June.
- How many solar panels do I need in Ensenada?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Ensenada's annual average of 5.49 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 Ensenada?
- Sizing against Ensenada's worst month (December, 3.23 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 Ensenada's solar resource compare globally?
- Ensenada sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.49 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 much does winter reduce solar output in Ensenada?
- Ensenada's worst month (December) delivers 3.23 kWh/m²/day — about 45% of the summer peak of 7.16. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Ensenada's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Ensenada's 5.49 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Ensenada?
- At Ensenada's latitude (32°), a fixed tilt near 32° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.