Peak Sun Hours in Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- March (5.6)
- Worst month
- August (4.2)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.9°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.54 | 5.81 | 3.93 | 2.53 | 24.2 | 55 |
| Feb | 5.48 | 5.93 | 3.00 | 2.87 | 26.8 | 61 |
| Mar | 5.57 | 6.28 | 2.72 | 2.93 | 28.0 | 72 |
| Apr | 5.51 | 6.71 | 2.71 | 2.84 | 27.9 | 78 |
| May | 5.31 | 6.74 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 27.1 | 83 |
| Jun | 4.87 | 6.49 | 2.30 | 2.57 | 26.1 | 85 |
| Jul | 4.41 | 6.52 | 1.68 | 2.49 | 25.3 | 87 |
| Aug | 4.21 | 6.68 | 1.36 | 2.45 | 25.1 | 87 |
| Sep | 4.61 | 6.83 | 1.91 | 2.53 | 25.3 | 88 |
| Oct | 5.18 | 6.60 | 2.90 | 2.52 | 25.6 | 87 |
| Nov | 5.56 | 6.14 | 4.31 | 2.25 | 25.7 | 75 |
| Dec | 5.51 | 5.77 | 4.56 | 2.19 | 24.1 | 61 |
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 4.21 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Gboko
Gboko, 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 5.15 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Gboko is March (spring) at 5.57 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is August (summer) at 4.21 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.
Gboko'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 Gboko?
- Gboko averages 5.15 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.21 in August to 5.57 in March.
- How many solar panels do I need in Gboko?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Gboko's annual average of 5.15 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 Gboko?
- Sizing against Gboko's worst month (August, 4.21 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 Gboko's solar resource compare globally?
- Gboko sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.15 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 Gboko?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Gboko, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.21 to 5.57 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Gboko?
- At latitude 7°, panels in Gboko work best at a low tilt (roughly 7°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Gboko?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Gboko's worst month (August) still delivers 4.21 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.