Peak Sun Hours in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- April (6.2)
- Worst month
- December (4.0)
- Climate
- Tropical · 26.5°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.13 | 5.16 | 4.66 | 1.58 | 23.3 | 69 |
| Feb | 4.86 | 5.89 | 5.05 | 1.74 | 24.9 | 65 |
| Mar | 5.73 | 6.70 | 5.50 | 1.95 | 26.6 | 59 |
| Apr | 6.23 | 7.14 | 5.47 | 2.13 | 28.8 | 56 |
| May | 6.17 | 7.40 | 4.75 | 2.45 | 29.5 | 60 |
| Jun | 5.69 | 7.49 | 3.73 | 2.60 | 28.2 | 76 |
| Jul | 6.20 | 7.50 | 4.40 | 2.58 | 27.8 | 79 |
| Aug | 6.08 | 7.31 | 4.66 | 2.38 | 27.8 | 81 |
| Sep | 5.55 | 6.79 | 4.46 | 2.25 | 27.1 | 85 |
| Oct | 5.00 | 6.10 | 4.77 | 1.92 | 26.0 | 83 |
| Nov | 4.48 | 5.37 | 5.21 | 1.57 | 24.4 | 77 |
| Dec | 3.98 | 4.92 | 4.80 | 1.48 | 23.9 | 73 |
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 3.98 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Mérida
Mérida, Mexico has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.34 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Mérida is April (spring) at 6.23 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 3.98 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.
Mérida'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 Mérida?
- Mérida averages 5.34 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.98 in December to 6.23 in April.
- How many solar panels do I need in Mérida?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Mérida's annual average of 5.34 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 Mérida?
- Sizing against Mérida's worst month (December, 3.98 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 Mérida's solar resource compare globally?
- Mérida sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.34 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 Mérida?
- Mérida's dry-season output peaks at 6.23 kWh/m²/day in April; the wet season drops it to 3.98 in December. That ~42% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Mérida?
- 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 Mérida?
- Mérida swings from 6.23 kWh/m²/day in April (dry) to 3.98 in December (wet) — roughly 42%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.