Saint George Solar Power Information & Peak Sun Hours
Solar Green Energy Summary for Saint George, Alaska
Lattitude: 56.5791
Sunlight
Fixed Tilt Sunlight Hours: 2.8 hours per day
1-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 4.3 hours per day
2-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 4.6 hours per day
Peak sun hours is one of the most important criteria to examine when considering installing a solar power system. Peak sun hours are different than total sunlight hours in a day because the strength of the radiation of the sun varies throughout the day. For example, during sunrise and sunset the solar insolation from the sun is less powerful than at noon. For a moment of sunshine to be considered a peak sun hour the intensity needs to be at least 1 kilowatt per square meter. This means that a square meter of your solar panel should be receiving 1 kilowatt of energy from the sun. This number is used because it is an amount of light that allows a solar panel to produce output efficiently and not under perform due to lack of sunlight power.
Sunlight hits the earth directly at the equator. This is why the equator has a latitude of zero degrees. The latitude of Saint George is 56.6. Knowing the latitude of Saint George 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.
They type of solar panel you use has an affect on the average peak sunlight hours. Some panels allow for movement, so they can track the sun as it rises in the east and sets in the west, or as the seasons change and the sun's path changes. A fixed panel remains fixed and does not have the ability to rotate, whereas a 1-axis and 2-axis panel can adjust with the sun.
Climate in your geographical region is a major factor that will influence average peak sun hours per year. If you live in a region that does not have a lot of completely sunny days, then cloud coverage will greatly influence solar insolation on any given day. Mountains and trees may also contribute to lower solar insolation if they block the sun from your panels at any given point of the day.
The average daily peak sunlight hours in Saint George, Alaska is 2.8 hours. Use this number when trying to calculate your solar needs in Saint George. As you can see above, if you were to use a 1-Axis or 2-Axis panel then the daily average would increase to 4.3 hour and 4.6 hours, respectively.