Bonneville Solar Power Information & Peak Sun Hours

Solar Green Energy Summary for Bonneville, Wyoming

Lattitude: 43.2688

Sunlight

Fixed Tilt Sunlight Hours: 6.1 hours per day

1-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 6.8 hours per day

2-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 7.2 hours per day

When trying to calculate your solar power needs there are a variety of factors to consider. Panel type and location, electricity needs, number of panels needed etc. One key to figuring out the math is factoring in the average peak sunlight hours in a day. Unlike total sunlight hours, peak sunlight hours are only when the sun is strong enough to power your solar panel. Using this number can help determine your needs to power your home or business in Bonneville, Wyoming.

If you’re using a fixed axis and fixed tilt solar panel, the ideal angle of the panel mount should be set at an angle equal to or close to the latitude of the location of the panel. Latitude is a valuable measurement to use when figuring how many daylight hours and the angle of the sun in the sky for your location. Since at locations with a higher latitude the sun will find itself at more variable angles in the sky throughout the year it is important to set the angle of the panel correctly and efficiently capture more peak sun hours. In the Northern Hemisphere the sun will be at lower angles in the Southern sky in the winter, and higher angles during the summer months, so the angle of the panel is crucial when trying to maximize output.

Depending on your output needs, to get more out of your solar panels you can either upgrade your technology, buy more panels, or buy different tracking type panels. A fixed solar panel remains fixed at one angle throughout the year. A 1-axis panel will produce more output because it follows the path of the sun from sunrise to sunset to maximize sun exposure. Even more productive is a 2-axis panel that not only follows the sun's path throughout the day, but also accounts for the more subtle sun changes throughout the year with the different seasons.

Weather is one of the major culprits that will cause inconsistent total peak sun hours for any given day. The sunrise and sunset will always be predictable every day, but the weather is hard to predict and cloud coverage can greatly diminish the efficiency of a solar power system on any given day. On the bright side, a location that is known to have cloudy weather a majority of the year could have unexpectedly more sunny days, so it can go both ways.

In Bonneville you can look at the average peak sun hours of a fixed solar panel mount, which will be 6.1 hours. This number iis an estimate based on data of previous years. With a tracking mount in Bonneville you could theoretically increase the amount of peak sun hours per with a 1-axis mount, and get 6.8 hours, or a 2-axis mount and potentially increase your average to 7.2 hours.


Solar Businesses in Bonneville, Wyoming




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