Peak Sun Hours in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- January (5.5)
- Worst month
- August (4.1)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.9°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.50 | 5.79 | 3.89 | 2.53 | 24.2 | 55 |
| Feb | 5.40 | 5.91 | 2.90 | 2.86 | 26.8 | 61 |
| Mar | 5.46 | 6.26 | 2.54 | 2.92 | 28.0 | 72 |
| Apr | 5.38 | 6.71 | 2.50 | 2.84 | 27.9 | 78 |
| May | 5.19 | 6.74 | 2.59 | 2.66 | 27.1 | 83 |
| Jun | 4.78 | 6.49 | 2.10 | 2.59 | 26.1 | 85 |
| Jul | 4.31 | 6.52 | 1.58 | 2.46 | 25.3 | 87 |
| Aug | 4.08 | 6.68 | 1.27 | 2.41 | 25.1 | 87 |
| Sep | 4.48 | 6.83 | 1.74 | 2.52 | 25.3 | 88 |
| Oct | 5.02 | 6.61 | 2.72 | 2.51 | 25.6 | 87 |
| Nov | 5.47 | 6.14 | 4.15 | 2.28 | 25.7 | 75 |
| Dec | 5.46 | 5.76 | 4.49 | 2.20 | 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 4.08 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Makurdi
Makurdi, 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 5.04 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Makurdi is January (winter) at 5.5 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.
Makurdi'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 Makurdi?
- Makurdi averages 5.04 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.08 in August to 5.5 in January.
- How many solar panels do I need in Makurdi?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Makurdi's annual average of 5.04 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 Makurdi?
- Sizing against Makurdi'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 Makurdi's solar resource compare globally?
- Makurdi sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.04 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 Makurdi?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Makurdi, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.08 to 5.5 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Makurdi?
- At latitude 8°, panels in Makurdi 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 Makurdi?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Makurdi's worst month (August) still delivers 4.08 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.