PVGIS · SolarMapped

Solar potential in Cape Town

This estimate represents one coordinate near the city center, not every roof or neighborhood.

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Annual values

Estimated PV output1,726kWh/kWp/year
Solar irradiation2,171kWh/m²/year
Optimal fixed tilt30°Panel direction: North

PV output is estimated electricity from 1 kWp of installed solar panels. Irradiation is sunlight energy received per square meter on the optimally tilted panel plane; it is not electricity.

For a 5 kWp system, multiply the electricity values by five. This simple scaling does not account for roof-specific shading or equipment constraints.

Compared with the sampled-city benchmark: -0.4% (1,733kWh/kWp/year). These figures are the unweighted mean of the city locations listed below, not a national average. Two urban points do not represent an entire country, its roofs or its solar installations.

Monthly solar irradiation and PV output

Highest-output month: January · 182.8kWh/kWp/month. Lowest-output month: June · 90.4kWh/kWp/month.

Bar lengths compare monthly PV electricity output; exact output and irradiation values are in the table.
Monthly solar irradiation and PV output — Cape Town
MonthEstimated PV output (kWh/kWp/month)Solar irradiation (kWh/m²/month)
January182.8235.7
February165.9213.3
March165.5210
April139.2173.6
May106.5131.3
June90.4109.8
July104.5126.7
August119.4145.9
September136.5168.8
October166.5209.6
November168.6214.4
December180.5232

More cities in South Africa

Solar potentialinSouth Africa →

Data and methodology

PVGIS 5.3 (European Commission Joint Research Centre), crystalline silicon, fixed free-standing installation, 1 kWp, 14% system losses, equator-facing panels with optimized tilt and the terrain horizon. Long-term climate estimates are not a forecast or a roof survey. Nearby buildings, trees, roof constraints, snow and local conditions can change actual output.

PVGIS methodology · Sources and assumptions (English) · Download the underlying data (JSON)