Peak Sun Hours in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- March (5.6)
- Worst month
- August (4.0)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.6°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.19 | 5.42 | 3.21 | 2.65 | 24.6 | 55 |
| Feb | 5.28 | 5.66 | 2.69 | 2.89 | 26.9 | 60 |
| Mar | 5.59 | 6.24 | 2.82 | 2.90 | 27.8 | 69 |
| Apr | 5.59 | 6.66 | 2.66 | 2.92 | 27.2 | 77 |
| May | 5.33 | 6.74 | 2.64 | 2.72 | 26.4 | 82 |
| Jun | 4.88 | 6.56 | 2.17 | 2.61 | 25.3 | 85 |
| Jul | 4.29 | 6.64 | 1.50 | 2.48 | 24.6 | 86 |
| Aug | 3.98 | 6.80 | 1.21 | 2.40 | 24.2 | 87 |
| Sep | 4.49 | 6.78 | 1.70 | 2.53 | 24.6 | 87 |
| Oct | 5.02 | 6.45 | 2.60 | 2.56 | 25.3 | 84 |
| Nov | 5.44 | 6.00 | 4.23 | 2.22 | 25.5 | 72 |
| Dec | 5.25 | 5.51 | 4.09 | 2.23 | 24.6 | 59 |
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 Ilorin
Ilorin, 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 5.03 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Ilorin is March (spring) at 5.59 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is August (summer) at 3.98 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.
Ilorin'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 Ilorin?
- Ilorin averages 5.03 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.98 in August to 5.59 in March.
- How many solar panels do I need in Ilorin?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Ilorin's annual average of 5.03 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 Ilorin?
- Sizing against Ilorin's worst month (August, 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 Ilorin's solar resource compare globally?
- Ilorin sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.03 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 Ilorin?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Ilorin, monthly PSH ranges just from 3.98 to 5.59 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Ilorin?
- At latitude 8°, panels in Ilorin work best at a low tilt (roughly 8°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Ilorin?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Ilorin's worst month (August) still delivers 3.98 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.