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Solar data for Malawi

Across the 23 places in Malawi the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 12° in Karonga to 17° in Blantyre, and flat ground gets 5.5 to 5.7 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.

Solar power in Malawi at a glance

Averages over 23 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing north.

Best panel angle16°average, facing north
Peak sun hours5.60a day on flat ground
1 kWp makes1,699kWh a year at the best angle
Off-grid angle8°average, for the darkest month
LilongweSalima (most sun)
  • 5.50–5.54
  • 5.54–5.59
  • 5.59–5.63
  • 5.63–5.68
  • 5.68–5.72

Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place.

The sunniest place in Malawi is Salima (Central Region) with 5.72 peak sun hours a day on flat ground; the least sunny are Karonga and one other place with 5.50. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,652 kWh a year in Nkhata Bay to 1,737 kWh in Salima — 1,699 kWh on average.

The best year-round tilt runs from 12° in Karonga to 17° in Blantyre. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 8° on average: at 70° that month brings 1.32 kWh per kWp a day in Karonga and 1.63 kWh in Nsanje.

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

Sunniest places in Malawi

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
1SalimaCentral Region5.721,73717°
2MchinjiCentral Region5.701,73416°
3MponelaCentral Region5.691,73316°
4NkhotakotaCentral Region5.661,70816°
5LilongweCentral Region5.641,72016°
6MzimbaNorthern Region5.631,70614°
7KasunguCentral Region5.631,71415°
7MangochiSouthern Region5.621,70916°
7RumphiNorthern Region5.631,69213°
10DedzaCentral Region5.611,71217°

Least sunny places in Malawi

RankPlaceRegionSun hours/daykWh per kWp a yearBest tilt
19BlantyreSouthern Region5.551,68617°
20NsanjeSouthern Region5.531,67017°
21Nkhata BayNorthern Region5.531,65214°
22MwanzaSouthern Region5.501,67117°
22KarongaNorthern Region5.501,65612°

Solar by region in Malawi

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
Central Region85.651,71916°1.49 kWhSalima
Northern Region65.581,67913°1.37 kWhMzimba
Southern Region95.571,69317°1.55 kWhMangochi

Largest places in Malawi at a glance

PlaceLatitudeBest tiltOff-grid tiltSun hours/day (flat)
Lilongwe14.0° S16°6°5.64
Blantyre15.8° S17°16°5.55
Mzuzu11.5° S14°3°5.58
Zomba15.4° S17°13°5.60
Karonga9.9° S12°0°5.50
Kasungu13.0° S15°4°5.63
Mangochi14.5° S16°10°5.62
Salima13.8° S17°4°5.72
Liwonde15.1° S17°12°5.60
Balaka15.0° S17°11°5.58
Dedza14.4° S17°7°5.61
Nkhotakota12.9° S16°3°5.66
Mchinji13.8° S16°6°5.70
Nsanje16.9° S17°23°5.53
Mzimba11.9° S14°2°5.63
Mponela13.5° S16°5°5.69
Rumphi11.0° S13°2°5.63
Ntcheu14.8° S17°10°5.57
Mwanza15.6° S17°14°5.50
Chitipa9.7° S13°0°5.61

Daylight and clock time in Malawi

In Chitipa (9.7° S), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 12 h 42 min and the shortest 11 h 33 min; in Nsanje (16.9° S), the southernmost, 13 h 09 min and 11 h 07 min. Malawi does not use daylight saving time: the clocks stay the same all year.

Time zonePlacesUTC offsetClocks change in 2026
Africa/Blantyre23UTC+2no daylight saving time

Questions about solar in Malawi

What is the best angle for solar panels in Malawi?
Facing north, between 12° and 17° depending on the place — 16° on average over 23 places. Off-grid systems that must get through the darkest month do better steeper, at about 8° on average.
How many peak sun hours does Malawi get?
From 5.5 hours a day in Karonga to 5.7 in Salima on flat ground, averaged over the year; 5.6 on average.
How much electricity does 1 kWp of solar panels produce in Malawi?
About 1,699 kWh a year at the best fixed angle on average, from 1,652 kWh in Nkhata Bay to 1,737 kWh in Salima. These are long-term climate averages; a single year can be several per cent higher or lower.
Where is the sunniest place in Malawi?
Salima (Central Region) gets the most sun of the 23 places: 5.72 peak sun hours a day on flat ground, so 1 kWp there makes about 1,737 kWh a year.
Does Malawi use daylight saving time?
Malawi does not use daylight saving time: the clocks stay the same all year.
How long is the longest day in Malawi?
13 h 09 min in Nsanje; the shortest day lasts 11 h 07 min in Nsanje.

All places in Malawi