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232 places · sun position · panel angle

Solar data for the Netherlands

Across the 232 places in the Netherlands the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 38° in Middelburg to 40° in Enschede, and flat ground gets 2.9 to 3.1 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.

Solar power in the Netherlands at a glance

Averages over 232 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing south.

Best panel angle39°average, facing south
Peak sun hours2.98a day on flat ground
1 kWp makes1,085kWh a year at the best angle
Off-grid angle72°average, for the darkest month
RotterdamVlissingen (most sun)
  • 2.88–2.93
  • 2.93–2.98
  • 2.98–3.02
  • 3.02–3.07
  • 3.07–3.12

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

The sunniest places in the Netherlands, with 3.12 peak sun hours a day on flat ground, are Vlissingen and one other place; the least sunny are Delfzijl and 2 other places with 2.88. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,050 kWh a year in Delfzijl to 1,129 kWh in Vlissingen — 1,085 kWh on average.

The best year-round tilt runs from 38° in Middelburg to 40° in Enschede. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 72° on average: at 70° that month brings 0.97 kWh per kWp a day in Harlingen and 1.28 kWh in Maastricht.

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

Sunniest places in the Netherlands

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
1VlissingenZeeland3.121,12938°
1MiddelburgZeeland3.121,12738°
3BorsseleZeeland3.101,12438°
4TerneuzenZeeland3.091,12138°
4GoesZeeland3.091,11838°
6Bergen op ZoomNorth Brabant3.051,10539°
6HellevoetsluisSouth Holland3.051,10539°
6MiddelharnisSouth Holland3.051,10539°
9SteenbergenNorth Brabant3.041,10339°
9's-GravenzandeSouth Holland3.041,10139°

Least sunny places in the Netherlands

RankPlaceRegionSun hours/daykWh per kWp a yearBest tilt
226VeendamGroningen2.891,05439°
226WinschotenGroningen2.891,05339°
230HoogezandGroningen2.891,05339°
230GroningenGroningen2.881,05239°
230DelfzijlGroningen2.881,05039°

Solar by region in the Netherlands

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
Zeeland53.111,12438°1.17 kWhVlissingen
North Brabant313.021,09739°1.18 kWhBergen op Zoom
South Holland503.011,09139°1.11 kWhHellevoetsluis
Limburg143.001,09239°1.24 kWhMaastricht
Utrecht192.991,08739°1.10 kWhLeerdam
North Holland372.981,08039°1.05 kWhHilversum
Gelderland342.971,08239°1.15 kWhZaltbommel
Flevoland62.971,07839°1.06 kWhZeewolde
Friesland52.951,07339°1.00 kWhHarlingen
Overijssel202.921,06940°1.17 kWhDeventer
Drenthe42.901,06140°1.10 kWhMeppel
Groningen72.891,05339°1.02 kWhLeek

Largest places in the Netherlands at a glance

PlaceLatitudeBest tiltOff-grid tiltSun hours/day (flat)
Rotterdam51.9° N39°72°3.01
Amsterdam52.4° N39°72°2.98
The Hague52.1° N39°72°3.02
Utrecht52.1° N39°72°2.99
Groningen53.2° N39°73°2.88
Eindhoven51.4° N39°72°3.03
Tilburg51.6° N39°72°3.02
Breda51.6° N39°72°3.02
Nijmegen51.8° N39°72°2.99
Almere Stad52.4° N39°72°2.98
Haarlem52.4° N39°72°2.98
Arnhem52.0° N39°72°2.97
's-Hertogenbosch51.7° N39°72°3.02
Enschede52.2° N40°73°2.92
Zaanstad52.5° N39°72°2.97
Amersfoort52.2° N39°72°2.99
Apeldoorn52.2° N39°72°2.96
Hoofddorp52.3° N39°72°2.98
Zwolle52.5° N40°73°2.93
Leeuwarden53.2° N39°73°2.95

Daylight and clock time in the Netherlands

In Delfzijl (53.3° N), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 17 h 00 min and the shortest 7 h 30 min; in Maastricht (50.8° N), the southernmost, 16 h 31 min and 7 h 56 min. The clocks change twice a year: forward on Sun 29 Mar, back on Sun 25 Oct (Europe/Amsterdam).

Time zonePlacesUTC offsetClocks change in 2026
Europe/Amsterdam232UTC+1, in summer UTC+2Forward on Sun 29 Mar, back on Sun 25 Oct

Questions about solar in the Netherlands

What is the best angle for solar panels in the Netherlands?
Facing south, between 38° and 40° depending on the place — 39° on average over 232 places. Off-grid systems that must get through the darkest month do better steeper, at about 72° on average.
How many peak sun hours does the Netherlands get?
From 2.9 hours a day in Delfzijl to 3.1 in Vlissingen on flat ground, averaged over the year; 3.0 on average.
How much electricity does 1 kWp of solar panels produce in the Netherlands?
About 1,085 kWh a year at the best fixed angle on average, from 1,050 kWh in Delfzijl to 1,129 kWh in Vlissingen. These are long-term climate averages; a single year can be several per cent higher or lower.
Where is the sunniest place in the Netherlands?
Vlissingen (Zeeland) and 1 other place share the most sun of the 232 places: 3.12 peak sun hours a day on flat ground. 1 kWp in Vlissingen makes about 1,129 kWh a year.
Does the Netherlands use daylight saving time?
The clocks change twice a year: forward on Sun 29 Mar, back on Sun 25 Oct (Europe/Amsterdam).
How long is the longest day in the Netherlands?
17 h 00 min in Delfzijl; the shortest day lasts 7 h 30 min in Delfzijl.

All places in the Netherlands