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Solar panels in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis receives 3.85 peak sun hours a day and 1,405 kWh/m² of solar energy a year. That is measured satellite data for Minneapolis's coordinates, not a national average — and it changes the panel count.
Minneapolis solar data
3.85peak sun hours/day
1,405annual irradiance (kWh/m²)
1.27kWh/day from one 400 W panel
464kWh/year from one 400 W panel
Monthly solar irradiance in Minneapolis
| Month | Peak sun hours/day | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1.29 | 0.1 |
| February | 2.91 | 0.2 |
| March | 3.98 | 0.3 |
| April | 4.49 | 0.4 |
| May | 5.91 | 0.5 |
| June | 5.65 | 0.5 |
| July | 5.85 | 0.5 |
| August | 5.11 | 0.4 |
| September | 4.92 | 0.4 |
| October | 3.25 | 0.3 |
| November | 1.61 | 0.1 |
| December | 1.07 | 0.1 |
Source: NASA POWER daily point API, parameter ALLSKY_SFC_SW_DWN (global horizontal irradiance), year 2024. Coordinates 44.9778, -93.265.
How many solar panels does Minneapolis need?
For a typical US household using 900 kWh a month, Minneapolis needs about 24 panels of 400 W (9.44 kWp), with a south-facing roof. That is more panels than the same household would need in a city with 4.5 peak sun hours.