Peak Sun Hours in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- November (4.9)
- Worst month
- July (3.7)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.4°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.91 | 5.40 | 2.59 | 2.70 | 24.5 | 75 |
| Feb | 4.61 | 5.49 | 1.68 | 2.74 | 26.1 | 83 |
| Mar | 4.68 | 6.01 | 1.52 | 2.75 | 26.6 | 88 |
| Apr | 4.76 | 6.47 | 1.61 | 2.79 | 26.5 | 90 |
| May | 4.68 | 6.53 | 1.87 | 2.63 | 26.1 | 91 |
| Jun | 4.20 | 6.30 | 1.47 | 2.42 | 25.3 | 92 |
| Jul | 3.69 | 6.38 | 1.05 | 2.23 | 24.6 | 91 |
| Aug | 3.69 | 6.58 | 0.99 | 2.27 | 24.4 | 91 |
| Sep | 3.94 | 6.72 | 1.11 | 2.37 | 24.8 | 92 |
| Oct | 4.43 | 6.49 | 1.87 | 2.44 | 25.4 | 91 |
| Nov | 4.93 | 5.96 | 3.03 | 2.38 | 25.9 | 87 |
| Dec | 4.93 | 5.46 | 3.18 | 2.41 | 25.0 | 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 3.69 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Benin City
Benin City, 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 4.45 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Benin City is November (autumn) at 4.93 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is July (summer) at 3.69 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the July value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Benin City'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 Benin City?
- Benin City averages 4.45 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.69 in July to 4.93 in November.
- How many solar panels do I need in Benin City?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Benin City's annual average of 4.45 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 Benin City?
- Sizing against Benin City's worst month (July, 3.69 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 Benin City's solar resource compare globally?
- Benin City sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.45 kWh/m²/day — good 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 Benin City?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Benin City, monthly PSH ranges just from 3.69 to 4.93 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Benin City?
- At latitude 6°, panels in Benin City work best at a low tilt (roughly 6°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Benin City?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Benin City's worst month (July) still delivers 3.69 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.