Peak Sun Hours in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- April (5.8)
- Worst month
- August (4.1)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 26.7°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.29 | 5.45 | 3.44 | 2.66 | 24.6 | 46 |
| Feb | 5.43 | 5.69 | 2.88 | 2.97 | 27.4 | 46 |
| Mar | 5.78 | 6.25 | 3.00 | 2.98 | 29.6 | 53 |
| Apr | 5.81 | 6.70 | 2.92 | 2.98 | 29.6 | 66 |
| May | 5.52 | 6.80 | 2.79 | 2.79 | 28.1 | 77 |
| Jun | 5.02 | 6.64 | 2.19 | 2.72 | 26.8 | 82 |
| Jul | 4.49 | 6.70 | 1.68 | 2.55 | 25.9 | 85 |
| Aug | 4.14 | 6.82 | 1.31 | 2.44 | 25.4 | 86 |
| Sep | 4.81 | 6.78 | 1.96 | 2.62 | 25.9 | 85 |
| Oct | 5.36 | 6.42 | 3.10 | 2.61 | 26.4 | 81 |
| Nov | 5.69 | 5.99 | 4.69 | 2.24 | 26.0 | 64 |
| Dec | 5.39 | 5.54 | 4.46 | 2.21 | 24.6 | 52 |
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 4.14 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Minna
Minna, 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 5.23 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Minna is April (spring) at 5.81 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is August (summer) at 4.14 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.
Minna'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 Minna?
- Minna averages 5.23 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.14 in August to 5.81 in April.
- How many solar panels do I need in Minna?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Minna's annual average of 5.23 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 Minna?
- Sizing against Minna's worst month (August, 4.14 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 Minna's solar resource compare globally?
- Minna sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.23 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 Minna?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In Minna, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.14 to 5.81 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in Minna?
- At latitude 10°, panels in Minna work best at a low tilt (roughly 10°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in Minna?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. Minna's worst month (August) still delivers 4.14 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.