Hesston Solar Power Information & Peak Sun Hours

Solar Green Energy Summary for Hesston, Kansas

Lattitude: 38.1403

Sunlight

Fixed Tilt Sunlight Hours: 5.5 hours per day

1-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 6.6 hours per day

2-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 7.5 hours per day

It goes without saying that throughout the year the amount of sunlight in any given day is going to vary. The time of year and weather will have a strong influence on daily sunshine. Looking at the average amount of peak sunshine hours in a day during an entire year stretch is a valuable exercise when trying to determine the amount and type of solar panels you need to install to power your business or your home. 5.5 peak sun hours means that in Hesston on average there are 5.5 hours a day where the sun is strong enough for solar panels to harness its energy. This number is less than the amount of total sunlight hours in a day because there are times during the day (ex. sunrise and sunset) where the sun is not strong enough to benefit solar panels.

Your latitude is an indicator of when the sunrises and sunsets and certain times of the year. If you live near the equator with a latitude of near zero, the sun will rise and set close to the same time all year resulting in consistent total sunlight hours per day. If you live near the poles, the time of sunrise and sunset will vary dramatically with each season, resulting in long days for part of the year and very short days at other times. So, locations closer to the equator will have more consistent amounts of peak sun hours throughout the year than locations closer to the poles.

Throughout the day the sun obviously moves throughout the Hesston sky. The suns position in the sky also changes throughout the year with the seasons. A fixed solar panel does not accommodate for these changes. However, a 1-axis panel rotates and follows the sun’s path during the day. A 2-axis panel both follows the sun’s daily path as well as the seasonal differences

Peak sun hours are greatly affected by weather patterns. Cloud coverage is a huge factor in peak sun hours per day because heavy cloud coverage will diminish the power of the solar insolation. You can use historical climate data to estimate average cloud and weather coverage, but it will obviously vary slightly from year to year.

In Hesston you can look at the average peak sun hours of a fixed solar panel mount, which will be 5.5 hours. This number iis an estimate based on data of previous years. With a tracking mount in Hesston you could theoretically increase the amount of peak sun hours per with a 1-axis mount, and get 6.6 hours, or a 2-axis mount and potentially increase your average to 7.5 hours.


Solar Businesses in Hesston, Kansas




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