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The amount of hours from sunrise to sunset is equal to the total sunlight hours in a 24 hour period. Similarly, peak sun hours are the amount of total sunlight hours in a 24 hour period that are strong enough to provide power from being captured by a solar panel. Not every hour of sunlight delivers the same amount of energy resources. The sunlight at sunrise does not provide as many resources as the amount of sunlight mid-day. Thus, looking at the average peak sunlight hours for Rancho Cordova is valuable for calculating your solar needs.

The equator has a latitude of zero while Rancho Cordova has a latitude of 38.6. 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.

You will notice that the average peak sun hours for Rancho Cordova 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.

Looking at latitude, average peak sun hours and various data can obviously help when planning for your solar power needs. The one thing you can never fully account for is changing weather. Storms, rain, cloud coverage all have an impact on solar panel capabilities.

In Rancho Cordova you can look at the average peak sun hours of a fixed solar panel mount, which will be 5.5 hours. This number iis an estimate based on data of previous years. With a tracking mount in Rancho Cordova you could theoretically increase the amount of peak sun hours per with a 1-axis mount, and get 7.3 hours, or a 2-axis mount and potentially increase your average to 8.5 hours.