Peak Sun Hours in Sacramento, California, United States
- Solar zone
- Zone 4 (excellent)
- Best month
- June (8.3)
- Worst month
- December (2.0)
- Climate
- Temperate · 16.6°C
Monthly solar breakdown
| Month | GHI | Clear-sky | DNI | DHI | Temp °C | Humid % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.20 | 3.13 | 3.54 | 0.91 | 8.9 | 74 |
| Feb | 3.32 | 4.28 | 4.78 | 1.19 | 9.9 | 75 |
| Mar | 4.64 | 5.78 | 5.52 | 1.61 | 11.9 | 75 |
| Apr | 6.16 | 7.24 | 6.87 | 1.84 | 14.1 | 70 |
| May | 7.47 | 8.24 | 8.52 | 1.80 | 18.2 | 61 |
| Jun | 8.29 | 8.70 | 10.21 | 1.44 | 22.7 | 48 |
| Jul | 8.24 | 8.43 | 10.43 | 1.25 | 25.5 | 41 |
| Aug | 7.36 | 7.53 | 9.54 | 1.22 | 24.8 | 42 |
| Sep | 5.95 | 6.22 | 8.44 | 1.07 | 23.1 | 42 |
| Oct | 4.28 | 4.71 | 6.80 | 1.00 | 18.5 | 47 |
| Nov | 2.76 | 3.39 | 4.77 | 0.91 | 12.8 | 60 |
| Dec | 1.97 | 2.78 | 3.47 | 0.80 | 8.8 | 71 |
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 1.97 kWh/m²/day, 0.77 system efficiency.
About solar in Sacramento
Sacramento, United States has a temperate climate with meaningful seasonal variation in solar resource. Its annual peak sun hours average 5.22 kWh/m²/day, a excellent solar resource by global standards.
The strongest month in Sacramento is June (summer) at 8.29 kWh/m²/day, and the weakest is December (winter) at 1.97 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.
Sacramento'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 Sacramento?
- Sacramento averages 5.22 peak sun hours per day annually, ranging from 1.97 in December to 8.29 in June.
- How many solar panels do I need in Sacramento?
- Panel count depends on your daily load. At Sacramento's annual average of 5.22 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 Sacramento?
- Sizing against Sacramento's worst month (December, 1.97 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 Sacramento's solar resource compare globally?
- Sacramento sits in solar zone 4 out of 5 (where 5 is strongest) at 5.22 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 much does winter reduce solar output in Sacramento?
- Sacramento's worst month (December) delivers 1.97 kWh/m²/day — about 24% of the summer peak of 8.29. Off-grid systems here typically oversize 1.5–2× or pair with a backup source.
- Do cloudy days significantly affect Sacramento's solar?
- Partly. Diffuse light still produces 10–25% of clear-sky output. Sacramento's 5.22 kWh/m²/day already reflects average cloudiness, so no further derating is needed for sizing.
- What panel tilt works best in Sacramento?
- At Sacramento's latitude (39°), a fixed tilt near 39° balances year-round yield. Winter-heavy loads favor latitude + 15°; summer-heavy, latitude − 15°.