Smyrna Solar Power Information & Peak Sun Hours

Solar Green Energy Summary for Smyrna, Washington

Lattitude: 46.8393

Sunlight

Fixed Tilt Sunlight Hours: 4.1 hours per day

1-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 5 hours per day

2-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 6.3 hours per day

If you put your solar powered math calculator in your backpack it will turn off from the lack of sunlight needed to power the device. As you slowly open your backpack and begin to let sunlight in, the calculator will eventually turn on when the amount of sunlight is enough to power the calculator. Similarly, peak sun hours refer to the hours of they day where the sunlight is strong enough to power a solar panel. This is different from total sunlight hours, which is simply the amount of hours in a day when there is any sunlight.

The equator has a latitude of zero while Smyrna has a latitude of 46.8. Any city located on the equator will receive the most sunlight throughout the year because the sunlight arrives at a perpendicular 90 degree angle to the earth at the equator. The further you are from the equator the more your daily sunlight hours can vary.

The sun moves through the sky during the day, and changes positions in the sky throughout the year as the seasons change. A fixed solar panel remains fixed in position during this movement. So, although it is effective in capturing sunlight, a 1-axis or 2-axis panel can be more efficient. A 1-axis panel tracks the sun's movement throughout the day from sunrise to sunset. In addition to that, the 2-axis panel also accounts for the movement throughout the year.

There are more variables than latitude that can change average peak sun hours. Weather patterns and geography will influence solar insolation that reaches your system. Thick grey storm clouds for example will block out a lot of the sun to the point where there may be no peak sun hours in the middle of the day when the sun is usually very powerful. Trees and mountains can deflect the sunlight, so be sure your solar panel is selectively placed.

We can take the latitude of Smyrna and use that number to know the amount of total sunlight hours in the region from sunlight to sunset and estimate that with a fixed solar panel, Smyrna will receive 4.1 average peak sun hours per day. This number can be increased to 5 hours by using a 1-axis tracking mount, or 6.3 hours from a 2-axis tracking mount.


Solar Businesses in Smyrna, Washington




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