Peak Sun Hours in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- July (7.8)
- Worst month
- December (1.9)
- Climate
- Temperate · 13.2°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.12 | 2.91 | 3.69 | 0.85 | 3.6 | 83 |
| Feb | 3.05 | 4.07 | 4.37 | 1.19 | 4.7 | 77 |
| Mar | 4.25 | 5.62 | 4.64 | 1.76 | 7.9 | 71 |
| Apr | 5.45 | 7.08 | 4.89 | 2.32 | 11.2 | 67 |
| May | 6.55 | 8.10 | 5.77 | 2.59 | 15.6 | 60 |
| Jun | 7.47 | 8.49 | 7.17 | 2.46 | 21.4 | 48 |
| Jul | 7.78 | 8.30 | 8.45 | 2.00 | 24.9 | 37 |
| Aug | 6.76 | 7.36 | 7.37 | 1.97 | 24.4 | 39 |
| Sep | 5.18 | 5.95 | 5.81 | 1.81 | 19.6 | 51 |
| Oct | 3.49 | 4.44 | 4.57 | 1.34 | 13.9 | 67 |
| Nov | 2.32 | 3.16 | 3.82 | 0.93 | 7.4 | 79 |
| Dec | 1.92 | 2.56 | 3.67 | 0.76 | 4.2 | 83 |
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 1.92 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares, Spain has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.7 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Alcalá de Henares is July (summer) at 7.78 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 1.92 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.
Alcalá de Henares'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 Alcalá de Henares?
- Alcalá de Henares averages 4.7 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 1.92 in December to 7.78 in July.
- How many solar panels do I need in Alcalá de Henares?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Alcalá de Henares's annual average of 4.7 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 Alcalá de Henares?
- Sizing against Alcalá de Henares's worst month (December, 1.92 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 Alcalá de Henares's solar resource compare globally?
- Alcalá de Henares sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.7 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 much does winter reduce solar output in Alcalá de Henares?
- Alcalá de Henares's worst month (December) delivers 1.92 kWh/m²/day — about 25% of the summer peak of 7.78. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Alcalá de Henares's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Alcalá de Henares's 4.7 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Alcalá de Henares?
- At Alcalá de Henares's latitude (40°), a fixed tilt near 40° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.