13 places · sun position · panel angle
Solar data for Sierra Leone
Across the 13 places in Sierra Leone the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 10° in Kenema to 12° in Kabala, and flat ground gets 4.8 to 5.2 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.
Solar power in Sierra Leone at a glance
Averages over 13 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing south.
- 4.77–4.86
- 4.86–4.94
- 4.94–5.02
- 5.02–5.11
- 5.11–5.19
Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place.
The sunniest place in Sierra Leone is Kabala (Northern Province) with 5.19 peak sun hours a day on flat ground; the least sunny are Bumpe and one other place with 4.77. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,395 kWh a year in Bumpe to 1,528 kWh in Kabala — 1,437 kWh on average.
The best year-round tilt runs from 10° in Kenema to 12° in Kabala. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 0° on average: at 70° that month brings 1.16 kWh per kWp a day in Waterloo and 1.33 kWh in Kabala.
Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.
Sunniest places in Sierra Leone
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 | Kabala | Northern Province | 5.19 | 1,528 | 12° |
| 2 | Koidu | Eastern Province | 5.03 | 1,478 | 11° |
| 3 | Makeni | Northern Province | 5.00 | 1,466 | 11° |
| 4 | Port Loko | North West | 4.95 | 1,450 | 11° |
| 5 | Lunsar | Northern Province | 4.91 | 1,437 | 11° |
| 5 | Freetown | Western Area | 4.91 | 1,437 | 11° |
| 7 | Mile 91 | Northern Province | 4.88 | 1,430 | 11° |
| 7 | Waterloo | Western Area | 4.88 | 1,426 | 10° |
| 9 | Njala | Southern Province | 4.85 | 1,420 | 10° |
| 10 | Segbwema | Eastern Province | 4.84 | 1,418 | 10° |
Solar by region in Sierra Leone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Province | 4 | 4.99 | 1,465 | 11° | 1.25 kWh | Kabala |
| North West | 1 | 4.95 | 1,450 | 11° | 1.20 kWh | Port Loko |
| Western Area | 2 | 4.89 | 1,431 | 11° | 1.16 kWh | Freetown |
| Eastern Province | 3 | 4.88 | 1,431 | 10° | 1.24 kWh | Koidu |
| Southern Province | 3 | 4.80 | 1,405 | 10° | 1.17 kWh | Njala |
Largest places in Sierra Leone at a glance
| Place | Latitude | Best tilt | Off-grid tilt | Sun hours/day (flat) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freetown | 8.5° N | 11° | 0° | 4.91 |
| Kenema | 7.9° N | 10° | 0° | 4.77 |
| Bo | 8.0° N | 10° | 0° | 4.78 |
| Koidu | 8.6° N | 11° | 0° | 5.03 |
| Makeni | 8.9° N | 11° | 0° | 5.00 |
| Waterloo | 8.3° N | 10° | 0° | 4.88 |
| Port Loko | 8.8° N | 11° | 0° | 4.95 |
| Njala | 8.2° N | 10° | 0° | 4.85 |
| Lunsar | 8.7° N | 11° | 0° | 4.91 |
| Kabala | 9.6° N | 12° | 0° | 5.19 |
| Segbwema | 8.0° N | 10° | 0° | 4.84 |
| Bumpe | 7.9° N | 10° | 0° | 4.77 |
| Mile 91 | 8.5° N | 11° | 0° | 4.88 |
Daylight and clock time in Sierra Leone
In Kabala (9.6° N), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 12 h 41 min and the shortest 11 h 34 min; in Kenema (7.9° N), the southernmost, 12 h 35 min and 11 h 40 min. Sierra Leone does not use daylight saving time: the clocks stay the same all year.
| Time zone | Places | UTC offset | Clocks change in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa/Freetown | 13 | UTC | no daylight saving time |