Location data · Vaud

Sun hours in Lausanne

How sunny is Lausanne? Over a year the sun delivers 1,566 kilowatt-hours onto every square metre here — in June roughly 3 times as much per day as in December. “Sun hours” has two meanings: the weather report counts how long the sun shines. For solar power what matters is how much energy arrives — and that is what this page shows, as peak sun hours (hours of full sun power).

For solar planning this means: an optimally tilted, south-facing array (35°) harvests an annual average of 4.29 peak sun hours per day in Lausanne. In 9 out of 10 years at least 1,466 kWh/m² are reached. All values are computed from this location’s satellite hourly data, not estimated.

Annual average (PSH)
4.29 kWh/m²/d
P90 annual total
1,466 kWh/m²
Optimal tilt
40°
Terrain horizon max.
20.6°

Sun hours per month

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PSH/day (35° south)2.353.534.425.335.225.916.055.604.973.632.412.03
P901.802.993.594.324.595.215.344.954.492.951.811.52

Daily average per month in kWh/m² at 35° tilt, south-facing, including the terrain horizon of Lausanne. P90 = reached in 9 out of 10 years.

Optimal tilt angle in Lausanne

The annual optimum for Lausanne is 40° south; anything between 26° and 51° counts as equivalent (below 2% difference). For winter operation (off-grid) 65° is optimal, for summer use 20°. Flat-laid modules lose 17.3 % versus the optimum. Adjusting twice a year would add 3.3 % here, monthly adjustment 4.3 % — only relevant for adjustable mounts.

Is a balcony solar kit worth it in Lausanne?

A vertical south-facing railing in Lausanne harvests 1,112 kWh/m² per year — 71 % of what an optimally tilted 35° panel yields at the same spot. December softens the penalty: with the low winter sun, the vertical plane reaches 111 % of the 35° December value, computed from the same hourly data with its own plane transposition. Open the balcony solar calculator with these coordinates →

Neighbouring places compared

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