PVGIS · SolarMapped
Solar potential in United States
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.
Explore on the solar map ↗Sampled-city benchmark
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.
Range across these cities: 1,404–1,782kWh/kWp/year. Panel tilt and direction are location-specific; see each city.
Monthly solar irradiation and PV output
Highest-output month: August · 146.8kWh/kWp/month. Lowest-output month: December · 102.4kWh/kWp/month.
The chart and table use the mean of the listed cities for each month.
| Month | Estimated PV output (kWh/kWp/month) | Solar irradiation (kWh/m²/month) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 115.5 | 140.8 |
| February | 121.4 | 148.8 |
| March | 146.1 | 182.9 |
| April | 146.7 | 187.7 |
| May | 145.2 | 188.9 |
| June | 141.9 | 187.9 |
| July | 146.1 | 196.4 |
| August | 146.8 | 197.4 |
| September | 137.5 | 182.6 |
| October | 128.5 | 166.6 |
| November | 114.7 | 143.9 |
| December | 102.4 | 125.3 |
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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.
- Los Angeles — Reference coordinates: 34.05, -118.24; Climate dataset / years: PVGIS-ERA5 / 2005–2023; Data retrieved: .
- New York — Reference coordinates: 40.71, -74.01; Climate dataset / years: PVGIS-ERA5 / 2005–2023; Data retrieved: .
PVGIS methodology · Sources and assumptions (English) · Download the underlying data (JSON)