Peak Sun Hours in Miami, Florida, United States
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- May (6.3)
- Worst month
- December (3.5)
- Climate
- Tropical · 25.4°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.69 | 4.62 | 4.70 | 1.41 | 21.2 | 75 |
| Feb | 4.46 | 5.50 | 5.00 | 1.66 | 22.1 | 75 |
| Mar | 5.53 | 6.57 | 5.61 | 1.96 | 23.0 | 73 |
| Apr | 6.21 | 7.32 | 5.69 | 2.23 | 24.7 | 73 |
| May | 6.25 | 7.65 | 5.07 | 2.45 | 26.3 | 75 |
| Jun | 5.68 | 7.58 | 3.66 | 2.70 | 28.0 | 78 |
| Jul | 5.88 | 7.48 | 3.98 | 2.68 | 28.7 | 76 |
| Aug | 5.64 | 7.14 | 4.02 | 2.53 | 29.0 | 77 |
| Sep | 4.96 | 6.48 | 3.82 | 2.26 | 28.3 | 78 |
| Oct | 4.50 | 5.64 | 4.58 | 1.77 | 26.9 | 76 |
| Nov | 3.88 | 4.77 | 4.88 | 1.41 | 24.4 | 75 |
| Dec | 3.45 | 4.28 | 4.59 | 1.31 | 22.8 | 77 |
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 3.45 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Miami
Miami, United States has a warm, tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.01 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Miami is May (spring) at 6.25 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 3.45 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.
Miami'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 Miami?
- Miami averages 5.01 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 3.45 in December to 6.25 in May.
- How many solar panels do I need in Miami?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Miami's annual average of 5.01 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 Miami?
- Sizing against Miami's worst month (December, 3.45 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 Miami's solar resource compare globally?
- Miami sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.01 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.
- How does the wet season affect solar generation in Miami?
- Miami's dry-season output peaks at 6.25 kWh/m²/day in May; the wet season drops it to 3.45 in December. That ~56% swing is a key sizing consideration.
- Can solar panels survive tropical storms in Miami?
- Most tier-1 PV panels are rated for 140+ mph wind loads; mounting hardware usually fails first. In cyclone-prone regions like United States, specify IEC 61215-certified panels and anchor-bolt mounts rather than ballasted.
- What's the dry-to-wet output gap in Miami?
- Miami swings from 6.25 kWh/m²/day in May (dry) to 3.45 in December (wet) — roughly 56%. Year-round off-grid systems must size against the wet-season minimum.