Stevens Village Solar Power Information & Peak Sun Hours
Solar Green Energy Summary for Stevens Village, Alaska
Lattitude: 66.025
Sunlight
Fixed Tilt Sunlight Hours: 3.6 hours per day
1-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 4.1 hours per day
2-Axis Tilt Sunlight Hours: 5 hours per day
It goes without saying that throughout the year the amount of sunlight in any given day is going to vary. The time of year and weather will have a strong influence on daily sunshine. Looking at the average amount of peak sunshine hours in a day during an entire year stretch is a valuable exercise when trying to determine the amount and type of solar panels you need to install to power your business or your home. 3.6 peak sun hours means that in Stevens Village on average there are 3.6 hours a day where the sun is strong enough for solar panels to harness its energy. This number is less than the amount of total sunlight hours in a day because there are times during the day (ex. sunrise and sunset) where the sun is not strong enough to benefit solar panels.
If you open the newspaper in the morning or watch the weather channel on the news you can get an accurate prediction of sunrise and sunset each day for Stevens Village. However, still knowing that the latitude of Stevens Village is 66.0 can be a helpful number for your solar panel setup and planning. The closer your latitude is to zero the closer you are to the equator. At the equator you find the most consistent total sunlight hours throughout any given day of the year. As your latitude increases you can see larger discrepancies of daily sunlight hours during the year. For example, having very long summer days and very short and dark winter days
You will notice that the average peak sun hours for Stevens Village change based on the type of panel being used. The reason for this is quite simple. A fixed panel does exactly what it sounds like, remains fixed in one position at all times. A 1-axis and 2-axis panels have axis that allow them to rotate. The 1-axis rotates with the sun's daily east to west movement while a 2-axis also adjusts for seasonal changes.
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.
In Stevens Village the average yearly peak sun hours for a fixed tilt non-tracking solar panel mount is 3.6. This is for a fixed panel mounted at an angle that is equal to the latitude of the location for the entire year. The amount of peak sun hours increases to 4.1 hours if you are using a 1-axis panel, and to 5 hours if you upgrade to a 2-axis solar panel.