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296 places · sun position · panel angle

Solar data for Canada

Across the 296 places in Canada the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 34° in Hamilton to 52° in Yellowknife, and flat ground gets 2.6 to 3.8 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.

Solar power in Canada at a glance

Averages over 296 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing south.

Best panel angle39°average, facing south
Peak sun hours3.51a day on flat ground
1 kWp makes1,292kWh a year at the best angle
Off-grid angle73°average, for the darkest month
TorontoMedicine Hat (most sun)
  • 2.57–2.82
  • 2.82–3.08
  • 3.08–3.33
  • 3.33–3.59
  • 3.59–3.84

Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place. 2 far-off places lie outside the frame.

The sunniest places in Canada, with 3.84 peak sun hours a day on flat ground, are Medicine Hat and one other place; the least sunny is Terrace with 2.57. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 989 kWh a year in Terrace to 1,501 kWh in Brandon — 1,292 kWh on average.

The best year-round tilt runs from 34° in Hamilton to 52° in Yellowknife. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 73° on average: at 70° that month brings 0.69 kWh per kWp a day in Whitehorse and 2.58 kWh in Brandon.

Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.

Sunniest places in Canada

Ranked by peak sun hours on flat ground: the yearly average of a day's sunshine energy (NASA POWER climatology). Output: 1 kWp at its best year-round angle.

RankPlaceRegionSun hours/daykWh per kWp a yearBest tilt
1Medicine HatAlberta3.841,48343°
1LethbridgeAlberta3.841,47542°
3Swift CurrentSaskatchewan3.791,47743°
4WindsorOntario3.781,32034°
4LaSalleOntario3.781,32034°
4TecumsehOntario3.781,31734°
7Moose JawSaskatchewan3.771,47844°
7ChathamOntario3.771,31134°
9BrandonManitoba3.761,50145°
9ReginaSaskatchewan3.761,47844°

Least sunny places in Canada

RankPlaceRegionSun hours/daykWh per kWp a yearBest tilt
289ParadiseNewfoundland and Labrador3.031,10238°
289Conception Bay SouthNewfoundland and Labrador3.031,10138°
294YellowknifeNorthwest Territories2.801,21652°
295WhitehorseYukon2.731,13049°
296TerraceBritish Columbia2.5798943°

Solar by region in Canada

Averages of the places in each region, sunniest first. Darkest month: what 1 kWp of off-grid panels at 70° makes a day in the worst month of the year.

RegionPlacesSun hours/daykWh per kWp a yearBest tiltDarkest month at 70°Sunniest place
Manitoba33.701,46745°2.45 kWhBrandon
Saskatchewan73.661,46045°2.31 kWhSwift Current
Ontario1013.641,29436°1.85 kWhWindsor
Alberta193.531,40945°2.24 kWhMedicine Hat
Quebec923.511,29839°2.00 kWhGatineau
New Brunswick103.461,30140°2.28 kWhSaint John West
Nova Scotia73.431,25038°1.83 kWhHalifax
British Columbia493.341,22939°1.50 kWhPenticton
Prince Edward Island13.331,20637°1.58 kWhCharlottetown
Newfoundland and Labrador53.021,10538°1.45 kWhCorner Brook
Northwest Territories12.801,21652°0.71 kWhYellowknife
Yukon12.731,13049°0.69 kWhWhitehorse

Largest places in Canada at a glance

PlaceLatitudeBest tiltOff-grid tiltSun hours/day (flat)
Toronto43.7° N35°67°3.64
Montréal45.5° N39°74°3.55
Calgary51.1° N44°78°3.60
Ottawa45.4° N38°73°3.59
Edmonton53.6° N46°80°3.51
Winnipeg49.9° N44°77°3.63
Mississauga43.6° N35°67°3.66
Vancouver49.2° N38°73°3.28
Brampton43.7° N35°72°3.66
Hamilton43.3° N34°67°3.68
Surrey49.1° N38°73°3.32
Québec46.8° N40°75°3.41
Halifax44.6° N38°67°3.52
Laval45.6° N39°74°3.55
London43.0° N34°66°3.73
Etobicoke43.6° N35°67°3.65
Markham43.9° N35°68°3.64
Vaughan43.8° N35°72°3.64
Gatineau45.5° N39°73°3.59
Victoria48.4° N37°70°3.48

Daylight and clock time in Canada

In Yellowknife (62.5° N), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 20 h 00 min and the shortest 4 h 57 min; in Leamington (42.1° N), the southernmost, 15 h 15 min and 9 h 07 min. Some parts of Canada change the clocks and some do not; the table shows each time zone.

Time zonePlacesUTC offsetClocks change in 2026
America/Toronto192UTC−5, in summer UTC−4Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Vancouver47UTC−8, in summer UTC−7Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Edmonton21UTC−7, in summer UTC−6Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Moncton10UTC−4, in summer UTC−3Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Regina6UTC−6no daylight saving time
America/Halifax6UTC−4, in summer UTC−3Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/St_Johns5UTC−3:30, in summer UTC−2:30Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Winnipeg4UTC−6, in summer UTC−5Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Glace_Bay2UTC−4, in summer UTC−3Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Swift_Current1UTC−6no daylight saving time
America/Dawson_Creek1UTC−7no daylight saving time
America/Whitehorse1UTC−7no daylight saving time

Questions about solar in Canada

What is the best angle for solar panels in Canada?
Facing south, between 34° and 52° depending on the place — 39° on average over 296 places. Off-grid systems that must get through the darkest month do better steeper, at about 73° on average.
How many peak sun hours does Canada get?
From 2.6 hours a day in Terrace to 3.8 in Medicine Hat on flat ground, averaged over the year; 3.5 on average.
How much electricity does 1 kWp of solar panels produce in Canada?
About 1,292 kWh a year at the best fixed angle on average, from 989 kWh in Terrace to 1,501 kWh in Brandon. These are long-term climate averages; a single year can be several per cent higher or lower.
Where is the sunniest place in Canada?
Medicine Hat (Alberta) and 1 other place share the most sun of the 296 places: 3.84 peak sun hours a day on flat ground. 1 kWp in Medicine Hat makes about 1,483 kWh a year.
Does Canada use daylight saving time?
Some parts of Canada change the clocks and some do not; the table shows each time zone.
How long is the longest day in Canada?
20 h 00 min in Yellowknife; the shortest day lasts 4 h 57 min in Yellowknife.

All places in Canada

Northwest Territories

Prince Edward Island