Peak Sun Hours in Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- May (7.0)
- Worst month
- December (2.8)
- Climate
- Tropical · 22.7°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.91 | 3.58 | 3.90 | 1.18 | 10.9 | 46 |
| Feb | 3.50 | 4.56 | 3.87 | 1.44 | 13.2 | 53 |
| Mar | 4.81 | 5.91 | 4.57 | 1.90 | 18.4 | 52 |
| Apr | 6.03 | 7.12 | 5.19 | 2.33 | 24.2 | 45 |
| May | 6.99 | 7.83 | 5.93 | 2.50 | 30.3 | 32 |
| Jun | 6.97 | 7.86 | 5.53 | 2.66 | 33.6 | 33 |
| Jul | 5.87 | 7.25 | 3.75 | 2.79 | 31.7 | 57 |
| Aug | 5.39 | 6.76 | 3.65 | 2.53 | 29.5 | 67 |
| Sep | 5.36 | 6.02 | 4.98 | 1.99 | 27.4 | 59 |
| Oct | 4.67 | 4.92 | 5.48 | 1.49 | 23.2 | 45 |
| Nov | 3.44 | 3.80 | 4.63 | 1.24 | 17.4 | 40 |
| Dec | 2.84 | 3.27 | 4.10 | 1.12 | 13.1 | 40 |
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 2.84 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Islamabad
Islamabad, Pakistan has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.9 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Islamabad is May (spring) at 6.99 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 2.84 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the December value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
Islamabad'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 Islamabad?
- Islamabad averages 4.9 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 2.84 in December to 6.99 in May.
- How many solar panels do I need in Islamabad?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Islamabad's annual average of 4.9 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 Islamabad?
- Sizing against Islamabad's worst month (December, 2.84 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 Islamabad's solar resource compare globally?
- Islamabad sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.9 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.
- How does the wet season affect solar generation in Islamabad?
- Islamabad's dry-season output peaks at 6.99 kWh/m²/day in May; the wet season drops it to 2.84 in December. That ~85% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Islamabad?
- Most tier-1 PV panels are rated for 140+ mph wind loads; mounting hardware usually fails first. In cyclone-prone regions like Pakistan, specify IEC 61215-certified panels and anchor-bolt mounts rather than ballasted.
- What's the dry-to-wet output gap in Islamabad?
- Islamabad swings from 6.99 kWh/m²/day in May (dry) to 2.84 in December (wet) — roughly 85%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.