Location data · Zurich
Sun hours in Zürich
How sunny is Zürich? Over a year the sun delivers 1,471 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 4.03 peak sun hours per day in Zürich. In 9 out of 10 years at least 1,382 kWh/m² are reached. All values are computed from this location’s satellite hourly data, not estimated.
- Annual average (PSH)
- 4.03 kWh/m²/d
- P90 annual total
- 1,382 kWh/m²
- Optimal tilt
- 40°
- Terrain horizon max.
- 5.7°
Sun hours per month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSH/day (35° south) | 2.07 | 3.25 | 4.22 | 5.18 | 5.09 | 5.68 | 5.73 | 5.26 | 4.64 | 3.35 | 2.11 | 1.73 |
| P90 | 1.51 | 2.42 | 3.38 | 4.12 | 4.40 | 4.95 | 5.01 | 4.57 | 4.07 | 2.78 | 1.66 | 1.16 |
Daily average per month in kWh/m² at 35° tilt, south-facing, including the terrain horizon of Zürich. P90 = reached in 9 out of 10 years.
Optimal tilt angle in Zürich
The annual optimum for Zürich is 40° south; anything between 25° and 51° counts as equivalent (below 2% difference). For winter operation (off-grid) 65° is optimal, for summer use 20°. Flat-laid modules lose 16.1 % versus the optimum. Adjusting twice a year would add 3.5 % here, monthly adjustment 4.5 % — only relevant for adjustable mounts.
Is a balcony solar kit worth it in Zürich?
A vertical south-facing railing in Zürich harvests 1,048 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 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/d7 km
- Winterthur3.99 kWh/m²/d20 km
- Rapperswil SG3.94 kWh/m²/d26 km