Peak Sun Hours in Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Solar zone
- Zone 3 (good)
- Best month
- June (6.5)
- Worst month
- December (1.9)
- Climate
- Temperate · 12.5°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.13 | 3.09 | 3.34 | 0.94 | -2.1 | 80 |
| Feb | 2.97 | 4.22 | 3.91 | 1.26 | -0.3 | 78 |
| Mar | 3.86 | 5.61 | 4.02 | 1.64 | 6.5 | 75 |
| Apr | 4.96 | 7.01 | 4.70 | 1.96 | 12.8 | 73 |
| May | 5.72 | 7.82 | 4.88 | 2.31 | 18.3 | 76 |
| Jun | 6.49 | 8.10 | 5.68 | 2.41 | 23.7 | 76 |
| Jul | 6.46 | 7.79 | 5.69 | 2.36 | 26.1 | 71 |
| Aug | 5.67 | 6.96 | 5.23 | 2.10 | 25.1 | 70 |
| Sep | 4.76 | 5.82 | 5.40 | 1.58 | 20.4 | 71 |
| Oct | 3.37 | 4.48 | 4.66 | 1.14 | 12.9 | 72 |
| Nov | 2.41 | 3.25 | 3.94 | 0.90 | 6.3 | 76 |
| Dec | 1.90 | 2.70 | 3.35 | 0.80 | 0.2 | 81 |
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 1.90 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Kansas City
Kansas City, United States has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 4.22 kWh/m²/day, a good solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Kansas City is June (summer) at 6.49 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 1.9 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.
Kansas City'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 Kansas City?
- Kansas City averages 4.22 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 1.9 in December to 6.49 in June.
- How many solar panels do I need in Kansas City?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Kansas City's annual average of 4.22 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 Kansas City?
- Sizing against Kansas City's worst month (December, 1.9 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 Kansas City's solar resource compare globally?
- Kansas City sits in solar zone 3 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 4.22 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 Kansas City?
- Kansas City's worst month (December) delivers 1.9 kWh/m²/day — about 29% of the summer peak of 6.49. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Kansas City's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Kansas City's 4.22 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Kansas City?
- At Kansas City's latitude (39°), a fixed tilt near 39° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.