97 places · sun position · panel angle
Solar data for North Korea
Across the 97 places in North Korea the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 34° in Ongjin to 44° in Namyang-nodongjagu, and flat ground gets 3.7 to 3.9 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.
Solar power in North Korea at a glance
Averages over 97 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing south.
- 3.70–3.74
- 3.74–3.78
- 3.78–3.83
- 3.83–3.87
- 3.87–3.91
Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place.
The sunniest places in North Korea, with 3.91 peak sun hours a day on flat ground, are Sinp’o and one other place; the least sunny are Ŏrang and one other place with 3.70. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,362 kWh a year in Ongjin to 1,496 kWh in Hyesan — 1,424 kWh on average.
The best year-round tilt runs from 34° in Ongjin to 44° in Namyang-nodongjagu. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 38° on average: at 70° that month brings 2.09 kWh per kWp a day in Hoeyang and 2.59 kWh in Samjiyŏn-ŭp.
Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.
Sunniest places in North Korea
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 | Sinp’o | South Hamgyong | 3.91 | 1,452 | 39° |
| 1 | Yuktae-dong | South Hamgyong | 3.91 | 1,452 | 39° |
| 3 | Kapsan-ŭp | Yanggang-do | 3.90 | 1,493 | 41° |
| 3 | Hongwŏn | South Hamgyong | 3.90 | 1,457 | 40° |
| 3 | Iwŏn-ŭp | South Hamgyong | 3.91 | 1,447 | 39° |
| 3 | Sil-li | South Pyongan | 3.90 | 1,428 | 38° |
| 3 | Ch’ŏsal-li | South Pyongan | 3.90 | 1,425 | 38° |
| 8 | Hyesan | Yanggang-do | 3.89 | 1,496 | 42° |
| 8 | Hyesan-dong | Yanggang-do | 3.89 | 1,496 | 42° |
| 8 | Samho-rodongjagu | South Hamgyong | 3.89 | 1,452 | 40° |
Least sunny places in North Korea
Solar by region in North Korea
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nampo | 1 | 3.89 | 1,402 | 37° | 2.18 kWh | Namp’o |
| Yanggang-do | 4 | 3.89 | 1,495 | 42° | 2.55 kWh | Kapsan-ŭp |
| South Hamgyong | 10 | 3.88 | 1,448 | 40° | 2.34 kWh | Sinp’o |
| South Hwanghae | 18 | 3.88 | 1,379 | 36° | 2.15 kWh | Ŭnch’ŏn-ŭp |
| South Pyongan | 11 | 3.88 | 1,420 | 38° | 2.21 kWh | Sil-li |
| North Hwanghae | 6 | 3.88 | 1,399 | 37° | 2.14 kWh | Anak |
| Pyongyang | 6 | 3.87 | 1,409 | 38° | 2.17 kWh | Sunan |
| Kaesong | 1 | 3.87 | 1,384 | 36° | 2.09 kWh | Kaesŏng |
| P'yŏngan-bukto | 6 | 3.85 | 1,430 | 39° | 2.24 kWh | Chŏngju |
| Chagang | 8 | 3.85 | 1,463 | 41° | 2.38 kWh | Yŏch’im-dong |
| Kangwŏn-do | 5 | 3.80 | 1,391 | 38° | 2.13 kWh | T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp |
| North Hamgyong | 18 | 3.76 | 1,445 | 42° | 2.43 kWh | Musan-ŭp |
| Rason | 3 | 3.72 | 1,437 | 42° | 2.38 kWh | Rajin |
Largest places in North Korea at a glance
| Place | Latitude | Best tilt | Off-grid tilt | Sun hours/day (flat) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyongyang | 39.0° N | 38° | 35° | 3.88 |
| Hamhŭng | 39.9° N | 40° | 33° | 3.87 |
| Namp’o | 38.7° N | 37° | 37° | 3.89 |
| Sunch’ŏn | 39.4° N | 38° | 34° | 3.86 |
| Hŭngnam | 39.8° N | 40° | 34° | 3.87 |
| Kaesŏng | 38.0° N | 36° | 32° | 3.87 |
| Wŏnsan | 39.2° N | 39° | 31° | 3.80 |
| Chongjin | 41.8° N | 42° | 41° | 3.73 |
| Man’gyŏngdae-ri | 39.0° N | 38° | 35° | 3.88 |
| Kaech’ŏn | 39.7° N | 39° | 35° | 3.86 |
| Sariwŏn-si | 38.5° N | 37° | 35° | 3.88 |
| Sinŭiju | 40.1° N | 39° | 35° | 3.84 |
| Tŏkch’ŏn | 39.8° N | 39° | 35° | 3.83 |
| Haeju | 38.0° N | 35° | 40° | 3.88 |
| Kanggye | 41.0° N | 41° | 39° | 3.85 |
| Changam-ch’on | 40.6° N | 40° | 41° | 3.88 |
| Hyesan | 41.4° N | 42° | 43° | 3.89 |
| Paech’ŏn-ŭp | 38.0° N | 36° | 35° | 3.87 |
| Sinp’o | 40.0° N | 39° | 38° | 3.91 |
| Songnim-ni | 38.8° N | 37° | 35° | 3.88 |
Daylight and clock time in North Korea
In Onsŏng (43.0° N), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 15 h 21 min and the shortest 9 h 01 min; in Kangnyŏng (37.9° N), the southernmost, 14 h 48 min and 9 h 32 min. North Korea does not use daylight saving time: the clocks stay the same all year.
| Time zone | Places | UTC offset | Clocks change in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia/Pyongyang | 97 | UTC+9 | no daylight saving time |