South Palm Beach Solar Power Information & Peak Sun Hours
Solar Green Energy Summary for South Palm Beach, Florida
Lattitude: 26.5899
Sunlight
Fixed Tilt Sunlight Hours: 5.1 hours per day
1-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 6.4 hours per day
2-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 6.6 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 South Palm Beach has a latitude of 26.6. 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.
Since a fixed solar panel is set in one position it is ideal to place it at an angle that will expose the panel to the most sunlight throughout the year. This angle is generally the same angle of your latitude which is 26.6 for South Palm Beach. You do not need to strategically place a 1-axis or 2-axis panel as much as you do a fixed panel. A 1-axis panel follows the movement of the sun during the day. Additionally, a 2-axis panel also adjusts for the suns various positions in the sky throughout the year.
Although weather predicting technology has greatly evolved over time, it is still a rather unpredictable factor that will affect the amount of peak sun hours your solar power system will receive. Cloudy days for example will usually have lower peak sun hours that a clear sunny day. And areas that usually have more average sunny days per year will probably have higher peak sun hours that areas that are often overcast or stormy.
The average daily peak sunlight hours in South Palm Beach, Florida is 5.1 hours. Use this number when trying to calculate your solar needs in South Palm Beach. As you can see above, if you were to use a 1-Axis or 2-Axis panel then the daily average would increase to 6.4 hour and 6.6 hours, respectively.
Helpful & Interesting
How much is a 5kw solar system?
How Much Does a 5kW Solar System Cost in 2018? As of January 2018, the average cost of solar in the U.S. is $3.14 per watt ($15,700 for a 5 kilowatt system). That means that the total 5kW solar system cost would be $10,990 after the 30% Federal ITC discount (not factoring in any additional state rebates or incentives).