Location data · Zurich
Sun hours in Winterthur
How sunny is Winterthur? Over a year the sun delivers 1,458 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 3.99 peak sun hours per day in Winterthur. In 9 out of 10 years at least 1,359 kWh/m² are reached. All values are computed from this location’s satellite hourly data, not estimated.
- Annual average (PSH)
- 3.99 kWh/m²/d
- P90 annual total
- 1,359 kWh/m²
- Optimal tilt
- 40°
- Terrain horizon max.
- 6.9°
Sun hours per month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSH/day (35° south) | 1.88 | 2.97 | 4.11 | 5.14 | 5.13 | 5.75 | 5.76 | 5.31 | 4.72 | 3.34 | 2.08 | 1.67 |
| P90 | 1.36 | 2.15 | 3.05 | 4.07 | 4.37 | 4.94 | 5.04 | 4.41 | 4.04 | 2.81 | 1.64 | 1.22 |
Daily average per month in kWh/m² at 35° tilt, south-facing, including the terrain horizon of Winterthur. P90 = reached in 9 out of 10 years.
Optimal tilt angle in Winterthur
The annual optimum for Winterthur is 40° south; anything between 26° and 52° counts as equivalent (below 2% difference). For winter operation (off-grid) 70° is optimal, for summer use 20°. Flat-laid modules lose 17.2 % versus the optimum. Adjusting twice a year would add 3.4 % here, monthly adjustment 4.5 % — only relevant for adjustable mounts.
Is a balcony solar kit worth it in Winterthur?
A vertical south-facing railing in Winterthur harvests 1,047 kWh/m² per year — 72 % 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 118 % 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
- Opfikon4.04 kWh/m²/d14 km
- Frauenfeld3.96 kWh/m²/d14 km
- Zürich4.03 kWh/m²/d20 km