45 places · sun position · panel angle
Solar data for Rwanda
Across the 45 places in Rwanda the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 3° in Gisenyi to 4° in Kigali, and flat ground gets 4.8 to 5.1 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.
Solar power in Rwanda at a glance
Averages over 45 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing north.
- 4.82–4.87
- 4.87–4.92
- 4.92–4.97
- 4.97–5.02
- 5.02–5.07
Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place.
The sunniest place in Rwanda is Kibungo (Eastern Province) with 5.07 peak sun hours a day on flat ground; the least sunny is Mukingo with 4.82. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,435 kWh a year in Mukingo to 1,508 kWh in Butare — 1,473 kWh on average.
The best year-round tilt runs from 3° in Gisenyi to 4° in Kigali. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 0° on average: at 70° that month brings 1.14 kWh per kWp a day in Nzega and 1.21 kWh in Kayonza.
Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.
Sunniest places in Rwanda
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 | Kibungo | Eastern Province | 5.07 | 1,505 | 4° |
| 2 | Butare | Southern Province | 5.06 | 1,508 | 4° |
| 3 | Nzega | Southern Province | 5.04 | 1,506 | 4° |
| 3 | Gikongoro | Southern Province | 5.04 | 1,506 | 4° |
| 3 | Nyamata | Eastern Province | 5.04 | 1,499 | 4° |
| 3 | Kayonza | Eastern Province | 5.04 | 1,497 | 4° |
| 7 | Nyanza | Southern Province | 5.03 | 1,500 | 4° |
| 7 | Rwamagana | Eastern Province | 5.03 | 1,495 | 4° |
| 9 | Ruhango | Southern Province | 5.01 | 1,492 | 4° |
| 10 | Mugina | Southern Province | 5.00 | 1,488 | 4° |
Least sunny places in Rwanda
Solar by region in Rwanda
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Province | 7 | 5.01 | 1,489 | 4° | 1.20 kWh | Kibungo |
| Southern Province | 9 | 5.01 | 1,493 | 4° | 1.16 kWh | Butare |
| Kigali | 2 | 4.99 | 1,484 | 4° | 1.19 kWh | Ndera |
| Western Province | 22 | 4.91 | 1,464 | 4° | 1.16 kWh | Cyato |
| Northern Province | 5 | 4.87 | 1,449 | 3° | 1.19 kWh | Shyorongi |
Largest places in Rwanda at a glance
| Place | Latitude | Best tilt | Off-grid tilt | Sun hours/day (flat) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kigali | 1.9° S | 4° | 0° | 4.98 |
| Gisenyi | 1.7° S | 3° | 0° | 4.84 |
| Musanze | 1.5° S | 3° | 0° | 4.83 |
| Nyagatare | 1.3° S | 3° | 0° | 4.96 |
| Gitarama | 2.1° S | 4° | 0° | 4.97 |
| Muhanga | 2.0° S | 3° | 1° | 4.95 |
| Butare | 2.6° S | 4° | 1° | 5.06 |
| Kibuye | 2.1° S | 3° | 0° | 4.92 |
| Rwamagana | 1.9° S | 4° | 0° | 5.03 |
| Kibungo | 2.2° S | 4° | 0° | 5.07 |
| Cyangugu | 2.5° S | 4° | 0° | 4.90 |
| Shyorongi | 1.9° S | 3° | 0° | 4.95 |
| Byumba | 1.6° S | 3° | 0° | 4.91 |
| Ndera | 1.9° S | 4° | 0° | 4.99 |
| Kirambo | 2.3° S | 4° | 0° | 4.93 |
| Kagano | 2.3° S | 4° | 0° | 4.92 |
| Ngororero | 1.9° S | 3° | 1° | 4.91 |
| Nzega | 2.5° S | 4° | 2° | 5.04 |
| Macuba | 2.3° S | 4° | 0° | 4.93 |
| Karengera | 2.5° S | 4° | 0° | 4.93 |
Daylight and clock time in Rwanda
In Bugaragara (1.3° S), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 12 h 12 min and the shortest 12 h 03 min; in Bugarama (2.7° S), the southernmost, 12 h 17 min and 11 h 58 min. Rwanda does not use daylight saving time: the clocks stay the same all year.
| Time zone | Places | UTC offset | Clocks change in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa/Kigali | 45 | UTC+2 | no daylight saving time |