Peak Sun Hours in General Santos, Soccsksargen, Philippines
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- April (5.9)
- Worst month
- January (4.5)
- Climate
- Equatorial · 25.1°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.49 | 6.50 | 3.07 | 2.17 | 24.7 | 85 |
| Feb | 5.17 | 6.98 | 3.76 | 2.24 | 24.8 | 83 |
| Mar | 5.68 | 7.34 | 4.27 | 2.24 | 25.4 | 81 |
| Apr | 5.93 | 7.35 | 4.56 | 2.25 | 26.0 | 80 |
| May | 5.42 | 7.07 | 3.71 | 2.32 | 25.7 | 84 |
| Jun | 5.01 | 6.89 | 3.04 | 2.39 | 25.1 | 86 |
| Jul | 5.05 | 6.92 | 2.97 | 2.44 | 24.6 | 87 |
| Aug | 5.26 | 7.06 | 3.11 | 2.47 | 24.6 | 88 |
| Sep | 5.59 | 7.13 | 3.43 | 2.55 | 24.7 | 86 |
| Oct | 5.36 | 6.85 | 3.58 | 2.38 | 25.0 | 86 |
| Nov | 4.97 | 6.56 | 3.71 | 2.17 | 25.1 | 86 |
| Dec | 4.64 | 6.31 | 3.51 | 2.11 | 25.0 | 86 |
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 4.49 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in General Santos
General Santos, Philippines sits near the equator, where day length is stable year-round and the sun passes close to overhead. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.21 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in General Santos is April (spring) at 5.93 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is January (winter) at 4.49 kWh/m²/day. When sizing a year-round off-grid system, it's standard practice to design against the January value rather than the annual average — otherwise the battery bank runs low during the darkest weeks.
General Santos'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 General Santos?
- General Santos averages 5.21 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 4.49 in January to 5.93 in April.
- How many solar panels do I need in General Santos?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At General Santos's annual average of 5.21 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 General Santos?
- Sizing against General Santos's worst month (January, 4.49 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 General Santos's solar resource compare globally?
- General Santos sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.21 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 General Santos?
- Near the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round and the sun stays close to overhead. In General Santos, monthly PSH ranges just from 4.49 to 5.93 kWh/m²/day — variance is driven by wet-season cloud cover, not day length.
- What tilt angle works best for panels in General Santos?
- At latitude 6°, panels in General Santos work best at a low tilt (roughly 6°) or horizontal. Tracking mounts add little benefit this close to the equator.
- How does the wet season affect solar output in General Santos?
- Equatorial wet seasons reduce output through cloud cover, not day length. General Santos's worst month (January) still delivers 4.49 kWh/m²/day — design against this value for reliable year-round off-grid use.