Peak Sun Hours in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- November (5.1)
- Worst month
- August (3.5)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.0°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.91 | 5.27 | 2.66 | 2.69 | 24.1 | 72 |
| Feb | 4.82 | 5.46 | 1.95 | 2.87 | 25.9 | 78 |
| Mar | 5.01 | 6.06 | 1.89 | 2.86 | 26.4 | 84 |
| Apr | 5.03 | 6.56 | 1.92 | 2.86 | 26.1 | 88 |
| May | 4.89 | 6.65 | 2.06 | 2.71 | 25.6 | 90 |
| Jun | 4.42 | 6.45 | 1.64 | 2.52 | 24.7 | 91 |
| Jul | 3.76 | 6.51 | 1.20 | 2.25 | 24.1 | 91 |
| Aug | 3.53 | 6.69 | 0.93 | 2.21 | 23.9 | 90 |
| Sep | 4.02 | 6.80 | 1.27 | 2.41 | 24.4 | 91 |
| Oct | 4.61 | 6.53 | 2.05 | 2.53 | 24.9 | 90 |
| Nov | 5.07 | 5.94 | 3.31 | 2.37 | 25.1 | 85 |
| Dec | 4.96 | 5.38 | 3.33 | 2.39 | 24.3 | 77 |
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 3.53 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Ile-Ife
Ile-Ife, 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 4.59 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Ile-Ife is November (autumn) at 5.07 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is August (summer) at 3.53 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.
Ile-Ife'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 Ile-Ife?
- Ile-Ife averages 4.59 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.53 in August to 5.07 in November.
- How many solar panels do I need in Ile-Ife?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Ile-Ife's annual average of 4.59 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 Ile-Ife?
- Sizing against Ile-Ife's worst month (August, 3.53 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 Ile-Ife's solar resource compare globally?
- Ile-Ife sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.59 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 Ile-Ife?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Ile-Ife, monthly PSH ranges just from 3.53 to 5.07 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Ile-Ife?
- At latitude 7°, panels in Ile-Ife 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 Ile-Ife?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Ile-Ife's worst month (August) still delivers 3.53 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.