47 places · sun position · panel angle
Solar data for New Zealand
Across the 47 places in New Zealand the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 30° in Whangarei to 39° in Dunedin, and flat ground gets 3.5 to 4.4 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.
Solar power in New Zealand at a glance
Averages over 47 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing north.
- 3.46–3.64
- 3.64–3.82
- 3.82–4.00
- 4.00–4.18
- 4.18–4.36
Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place.
The sunniest place in New Zealand is Whangarei (Northland) with 4.36 peak sun hours a day on flat ground; the least sunny is Invercargill with 3.46. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,260 kWh a year in Invercargill to 1,507 kWh in Blenheim — 1,455 kWh on average.
The best year-round tilt runs from 30° in Whangarei to 39° in Dunedin. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 64° on average: at 70° that month brings 2.00 kWh per kWp a day in Invercargill and 2.97 kWh in Whakatane.
Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.
Sunniest places in New Zealand
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.
| Rank | Place | Region | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whangarei | Northland | 4.36 | 1,469 | 30° |
| 2 | New Lynn | Auckland | 4.32 | 1,466 | 31° |
| 2 | Avondale | Auckland | 4.32 | 1,466 | 31° |
| 4 | Mount Eden | Auckland | 4.31 | 1,465 | 31° |
| 4 | Auckland | Auckland | 4.31 | 1,465 | 31° |
| 4 | Mangere | Auckland | 4.31 | 1,465 | 31° |
| 4 | Remuera | Auckland | 4.31 | 1,465 | 31° |
| 4 | Otahuhu | Auckland | 4.31 | 1,464 | 31° |
| 4 | Papatoetoe | Auckland | 4.31 | 1,464 | 31° |
| 4 | Otara | Auckland | 4.31 | 1,464 | 31° |
Least sunny places in New Zealand
| Rank | Place | Region | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Rangiora | Canterbury | 3.94 | 1,453 | 38° |
| 44 | Ashburton | Canterbury | 3.90 | 1,443 | 38° |
| 45 | Timaru | Canterbury | 3.84 | 1,434 | 39° |
| 46 | Dunedin | Otago | 3.57 | 1,320 | 39° |
| 47 | Invercargill | Southland | 3.46 | 1,260 | 38° |
Solar by region in New Zealand
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.
| Region | Places | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt | Darkest month at 70° | Sunniest place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northland | 1 | 4.36 | 1,469 | 30° | 2.84 kWh | Whangarei |
| Auckland | 14 | 4.31 | 1,464 | 31° | 2.89 kWh | New Lynn |
| Taranaki Region | 1 | 4.27 | 1,482 | 33° | 2.75 kWh | New Plymouth |
| Bay of Plenty | 3 | 4.23 | 1,463 | 33° | 2.95 kWh | Whakatane |
| Gisborne | 1 | 4.22 | 1,467 | 33° | 2.86 kWh | Gisborne |
| Marlborough | 1 | 4.17 | 1,507 | 36° | 2.86 kWh | Blenheim |
| Hawke's Bay Region | 2 | 4.16 | 1,463 | 34° | 2.86 kWh | Napier |
| Wellington Region | 8 | 4.16 | 1,478 | 35° | 2.63 kWh | Karori |
| Nelson Region | 2 | 4.14 | 1,498 | 36° | 2.90 kWh | Nelson |
| Tasman District | 1 | 4.11 | 1,488 | 36° | 2.88 kWh | Richmond |
| Waikato Region | 3 | 4.11 | 1,418 | 32° | 2.85 kWh | Hamilton |
| Manawatu-Wanganui | 3 | 4.05 | 1,423 | 34° | 2.60 kWh | Whanganui |
| Canterbury | 5 | 3.92 | 1,448 | 38° | 2.71 kWh | Christchurch |
| Otago | 1 | 3.57 | 1,320 | 39° | 2.26 kWh | Dunedin |
| Southland | 1 | 3.46 | 1,260 | 38° | 2.00 kWh | Invercargill |
Largest places in New Zealand at a glance
| Place | Latitude | Best tilt | Off-grid tilt | Sun hours/day (flat) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 36.8° S | 31° | 61° | 4.31 |
| Christchurch | 43.5° S | 38° | 68° | 3.96 |
| Wellington | 41.3° S | 35° | 65° | 4.19 |
| Manukau City | 37.0° S | 32° | 61° | 4.30 |
| Hamilton | 37.8° S | 32° | 62° | 4.15 |
| Tauranga | 37.7° S | 32° | 62° | 4.26 |
| Dunedin | 45.9° S | 39° | 69° | 3.57 |
| Lower Hutt | 41.2° S | 35° | 65° | 4.17 |
| Palmerston North | 40.4° S | 34° | 64° | 3.98 |
| New Plymouth | 39.1° S | 33° | 63° | 4.27 |
| Hastings | 39.6° S | 34° | 64° | 4.15 |
| Napier | 39.5° S | 34° | 64° | 4.17 |
| Rotorua | 38.1° S | 33° | 63° | 4.15 |
| Porirua | 41.1° S | 35° | 65° | 4.20 |
| Invercargill | 46.4° S | 38° | 69° | 3.46 |
| Papatoetoe | 37.0° S | 31° | 61° | 4.31 |
| Nelson | 41.3° S | 36° | 66° | 4.15 |
| Whangarei | 35.7° S | 30° | 60° | 4.36 |
| Whanganui | 39.9° S | 34° | 64° | 4.11 |
| Upper Hutt | 41.1° S | 35° | 65° | 4.15 |
Daylight and clock time in New Zealand
In Whangarei (35.7° S), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 14 h 35 min and the shortest 9 h 44 min; in Invercargill (46.4° S), the southernmost, 15 h 49 min and 8 h 35 min. The clocks change twice a year: back on Sun 5 Apr, forward on Sun 27 Sep (Pacific/Auckland).
| Time zone | Places | UTC offset | Clocks change in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific/Auckland | 47 | UTC+12, in summer UTC+13 | Back on Sun 5 Apr, forward on Sun 27 Sep |