77 places · sun position · panel angle
Solar data for Zambia
Across the 77 places in Zambia the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 13° in Nakonde to 21° in Livingstone, and flat ground gets 5.5 to 5.9 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.
Solar power in Zambia at a glance
Averages over 77 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing north.
- 5.48–5.57
- 5.57–5.66
- 5.66–5.75
- 5.75–5.85
- 5.85–5.94
Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place.
The sunniest place in Zambia is Sesheke (Western Province) with 5.94 peak sun hours a day on flat ground; the least sunny is Mwinilunga with 5.48. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,684 kWh a year in Mwinilunga to 1,841 kWh in Sesheke — 1,761 kWh on average.
The best year-round tilt runs from 13° in Nakonde to 21° in Livingstone. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 4° on average: at 70° that month brings 1.25 kWh per kWp a day in Kaputa and 1.68 kWh in Livingstone.
Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.
Sunniest places in Zambia
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 | Sesheke | Western Province | 5.94 | 1,841 | 21° |
| 2 | Livingstone | Southern Province | 5.88 | 1,831 | 21° |
| 3 | Senanga | Western Province | 5.87 | 1,816 | 20° |
| 4 | Chinsali | Muchinga | 5.86 | 1,778 | 15° |
| 5 | Itezhi-Tezhi | Southern Province | 5.84 | 1,807 | 20° |
| 5 | Maamba | Southern Province | 5.84 | 1,807 | 21° |
| 5 | Sinazongwe | Southern Province | 5.84 | 1,805 | 21° |
| 5 | Mongu | Western Province | 5.84 | 1,801 | 20° |
| 5 | Samfya | Luapula Province | 5.84 | 1,782 | 16° |
| 10 | Kalomo | Southern Province | 5.83 | 1,811 | 21° |
Least sunny places in Zambia
| Rank | Place | Region | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Kansanshi | North-Western | 5.62 | 1,728 | 18° |
| 72 | Nchelenge | Luapula Province | 5.62 | 1,695 | 15° |
| 75 | Chiengi | Luapula Province | 5.61 | 1,692 | 14° |
| 76 | Chisasa | North-Western | 5.60 | 1,723 | 18° |
| 77 | Mwinilunga | North-Western | 5.48 | 1,684 | 18° |
Solar by region in Zambia
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Province | 6 | 5.84 | 1,802 | 20° | 1.62 kWh | Sesheke |
| Southern Province | 11 | 5.82 | 1,799 | 20° | 1.63 kWh | Livingstone |
| Muchinga | 4 | 5.81 | 1,763 | 15° | 1.41 kWh | Chinsali |
| Lusaka Province | 11 | 5.75 | 1,770 | 19° | 1.60 kWh | Lusaka West |
| Copperbelt | 10 | 5.74 | 1,763 | 18° | 1.54 kWh | Mpongwe |
| Central Province | 6 | 5.74 | 1,766 | 18° | 1.59 kWh | Mumbwa |
| Northern Province | 6 | 5.72 | 1,736 | 15° | 1.34 kWh | Kasama |
| Eastern Province | 6 | 5.70 | 1,732 | 17° | 1.54 kWh | Chipata |
| Luapula Province | 6 | 5.69 | 1,725 | 15° | 1.34 kWh | Samfya |
| North-Western | 11 | 5.65 | 1,738 | 18° | 1.54 kWh | Kasempa |
Largest places in Zambia at a glance
| Place | Latitude | Best tilt | Off-grid tilt | Sun hours/day (flat) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lusaka | 15.4° S | 19° | 7° | 5.76 |
| Kitwe | 12.8° S | 18° | 0° | 5.74 |
| Ndola | 13.0° S | 18° | 0° | 5.75 |
| Chipata | 13.6° S | 16° | 6° | 5.73 |
| Solwezi | 12.2° S | 18° | 0° | 5.62 |
| Kabwe | 14.4° S | 18° | 4° | 5.77 |
| Chingola | 12.5° S | 18° | 0° | 5.71 |
| Luanshya | 13.1° S | 18° | 0° | 5.76 |
| Kasama | 10.2° S | 15° | 0° | 5.81 |
| Livingstone | 17.8° S | 21° | 11° | 5.88 |
| Mansa | 11.2° S | 16° | 0° | 5.76 |
| Mufulira | 12.5° S | 17° | 0° | 5.73 |
| Chunga | 15.3° S | 19° | 7° | 5.76 |
| Chililabombwe | 12.4° S | 17° | 0° | 5.71 |
| Mongu | 15.2° S | 20° | 5° | 5.84 |
| Mazabuka | 15.9° S | 19° | 8° | 5.80 |
| Kafue | 15.8° S | 19° | 8° | 5.77 |
| Kalulushi | 12.8° S | 18° | 0° | 5.74 |
| Choma | 16.8° S | 20° | 10° | 5.81 |
| Namalombwe | 15.4° S | 19° | 7° | 5.77 |
Daylight and clock time in Zambia
In Kaputa (8.5° S), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 12 h 37 min and the shortest 11 h 38 min; in Livingstone (17.8° S), the southernmost, 13 h 12 min and 11 h 04 min. Zambia does not use daylight saving time: the clocks stay the same all year.
| Time zone | Places | UTC offset | Clocks change in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa/Lusaka | 77 | UTC+2 | no daylight saving time |