Ashton Solar Power Information & Peak Sun Hours
Solar Green Energy Summary for Ashton, Illinois
Lattitude: 41.8682
Sunlight
Fixed Tilt Sunlight Hours: 4.1 hours per day
1-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 5.3 hours per day
2-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 6.1 hours per day
Peak sun hours is arguably the most important number to consider before installing your solar panels. Unlike total sun hours, peak sun hours are calculated by looking at the amount of sunlight hours in a 24 hour period that is strong enough to be absorb by a solar panel. One way to imagine peak sun hours is to think about a solar powered calculator you owned in school. If you covered the solar panel with your finger, or tried to use the calculator in the dark, the calculator would not work. As you slowly exposed the calculator to light the calculator would eventually turn on and be usable. The same is true with peak sun hours; these are the hours that your solar panels receive enough sunlight to work. Looking at the average peak sunlight hours of 4.1 per day can help you determine the amount of solar panels you need to install to power your home or business in Ashton, Illinois.
Sunlight hits the earth directly at the equator. This is why the equator has a latitude of zero degrees. The latitude of Ashton is 41.9. Knowing the latitude of Ashton can help you plan for your solar panel setup, as the larger the latitude the more variance you will see throughout the year for total daily sunlight hours.
You will notice the difference in peak sunlight hours depending on the panel type. The more flexibility the solar panel has the efficient it can be throughout the day and the year. A fixed solar panel remains in the same position at all times. A 1-axis panel follows the sun throughout the day as it moves through the sky and eventually sets. A 2-axis panel not only tracks the daily movement, but also adjusts based on the sun's changing position in the sky throughout the year as the seasons change.
Another reason to consider average peak sun hours is because weather can dramatically affect the day-to-day output of solar panels. It goes without saying that a dark stormy day will produce less output than a clear sunny day. Looking at a yearly average helps account for these daily variables.
We can take the latitude of Ashton 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, Ashton will receive 4.1 average peak sun hours per day. This number can be increased to 5.3 hours by using a 1-axis tracking mount, or 6.1 hours from a 2-axis tracking mount.
Helpful & Interesting
Which countries emit the most co2?
Each Country's Share of CO2 Emissions The world’s countries emit vastly different amounts of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. The table below shows data compiled by the International Energy Agency, which estimates carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of coal, natural gas, oil and other fuels, including industrial waste and non-renewable municipal waste. Here we list the 20 countries that emitted the most carbon dioxide in 2015 (the most recent available data).