Calculator › Los Angeles, California
Solar panels in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles receives 5.55 peak sun hours a day and 2,025 kWh/m² of solar energy a year. That is measured satellite data for Los Angeles's coordinates, not a national average — and it changes the panel count.
Los Angeles solar data
5.55peak sun hours/day
2,025annual irradiance (kWh/m²)
1.83kWh/day from one 400 W panel
669kWh/year from one 400 W panel
Monthly solar irradiance in Los Angeles
| Month | Peak sun hours/day | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 3.05 | 0.3 |
| February | 3.50 | 0.3 |
| March | 5.06 | 0.4 |
| April | 6.53 | 0.5 |
| May | 7.33 | 0.6 |
| June | 8.09 | 0.7 |
| July | 7.97 | 0.7 |
| August | 7.48 | 0.6 |
| September | 6.13 | 0.5 |
| October | 4.80 | 0.4 |
| November | 3.49 | 0.3 |
| December | 2.90 | 0.2 |
Source: NASA POWER daily point API, parameter ALLSKY_SFC_SW_DWN (global horizontal irradiance), year 2024. Coordinates 34.0522, -118.2437.
How many solar panels does Los Angeles need?
For a typical US household using 900 kWh a month, Los Angeles needs about 17 panels of 400 W (6.55 kWp), with a south-facing roof. That is fewer panels than the same household would need in a city with 4.5 peak sun hours.