Calculator › Raleigh, North Carolina
Solar panels in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh receives 4.52 peak sun hours a day and 1,650 kWh/m² of solar energy a year. That is measured satellite data for Raleigh's coordinates, not a national average — and it changes the panel count.
Raleigh solar data
4.52peak sun hours/day
1,650annual irradiance (kWh/m²)
1.49kWh/day from one 400 W panel
545kWh/year from one 400 W panel
Monthly solar irradiance in Raleigh
| Month | Peak sun hours/day | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2.68 | 0.2 |
| February | 3.48 | 0.3 |
| March | 4.39 | 0.4 |
| April | 5.46 | 0.5 |
| May | 5.86 | 0.5 |
| June | 6.84 | 0.6 |
| July | 5.76 | 0.5 |
| August | 5.56 | 0.5 |
| September | 4.28 | 0.4 |
| October | 4.37 | 0.4 |
| November | 2.87 | 0.2 |
| December | 2.54 | 0.2 |
Source: NASA POWER daily point API, parameter ALLSKY_SFC_SW_DWN (global horizontal irradiance), year 2024. Coordinates 35.7796, -78.6382.
How many solar panels does Raleigh need?
For a typical US household using 900 kWh a month, Raleigh needs about 21 panels of 400 W (8.04 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.