Peak Sun Hours in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- March (5.9)
- Worst month
- August (4.1)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.6°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.52 | 5.69 | 3.96 | 2.57 | 24.8 | 41 |
| Feb | 5.60 | 5.90 | 3.16 | 2.95 | 27.2 | 43 |
| Mar | 5.87 | 6.38 | 3.05 | 3.01 | 28.6 | 54 |
| Apr | 5.81 | 6.80 | 2.90 | 2.99 | 28.0 | 69 |
| May | 5.48 | 6.88 | 2.64 | 2.83 | 26.5 | 80 |
| Jun | 5.00 | 6.73 | 2.16 | 2.70 | 25.3 | 84 |
| Jul | 4.53 | 6.81 | 1.69 | 2.55 | 24.4 | 86 |
| Aug | 4.08 | 6.93 | 1.24 | 2.41 | 24.0 | 87 |
| Sep | 4.83 | 6.89 | 2.00 | 2.62 | 24.4 | 86 |
| Oct | 5.38 | 6.56 | 3.14 | 2.57 | 25.0 | 83 |
| Nov | 5.83 | 6.14 | 4.96 | 2.20 | 25.1 | 65 |
| Dec | 5.58 | 5.74 | 4.93 | 2.12 | 24.3 | 48 |
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 4.08 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria sits near the equator, where day length is stable year-round and the sun passes close to overhead. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.29 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Abuja is March (spring) at 5.87 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is August (summer) at 4.08 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the August value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Abuja'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 Abuja?
- Abuja averages 5.29 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.08 in August to 5.87 in March.
- How many solar panels do I need in Abuja?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Abuja's annual average of 5.29 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 Abuja?
- Sizing against Abuja's worst month (August, 4.08 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 Abuja's solar resource compare globally?
- Abuja sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.29 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.
- Why doesn't solar output vary much by month in Abuja?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Abuja, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.08 to 5.87 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Abuja?
- At latitude 9°, panels in Abuja work best at a low tilt (roughly 9°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Abuja?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Abuja's worst month (August) still delivers 4.08 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.