Iowa Sunlight Hours & Renewable Energy Information
Quick Green Energy Summary for Iowa
Sunlight
State Sunlight Rank: 26/50
Average Annual Sunlight Hours: 2600 hours
Clear Days: 105 days per year
Summer Peak Sun Hours: 5.05 hours per day
Winter Peak Sun Hours: 2.99 hours per day
Average Peak Sun Hours 
: 4.55 hours per day
: Wind
State Wind Rank : 39/50
Average Annual Wind Speed: 0.04 miles per hour
More Information on Iowa Green Energy
Iowa ranks right about in the middle for average peak sun hours in the US compared to other states. So although Iowa does not have superb solar insolation rates, it’s geographical advantage comes in other forms, mostly from the wind. It’s location on the flat planes of the US allow Iowa to excel in wind energy more than solar power even though solar power is very possible in the state.
Net metering is available in Iowa for currently for up to 500 kwh, which is one of the best net metering rates in the country. Iowa also has very good tax incentives for renewable energy projects. Even though Iowa mostly specializes in wind energy, it did at one point have one of the biggest solar arrays in the world.
Using a yearly average, there are 4.55 daily peak sun hours across the state of Iowa. This number is calculated for a fixed solar panel.
When planning and trying to understand what impact solar panels can have on your electricity bill it helps to use an average number. Throughout the year the actual daily sunlight hours will fluctuate quite a bit based on weather, clouds and a number of issues and outside variables. Using an average calculation of peak sunlight hours, the best hours for solar insolation, helps drill down what to expect for the year in Iowa. On a day to day basis expect to see a wide range of output.