How Much Sunlight Does Georgia Get?
The sunny weather data you want to know before installing solar panels
How much sunlight is there in Georgia throughout the year? Whether you live in Savannah, Atlanta, or anywhere else in the state, it would be nice to know the amount of sunlight you can expect if you’re planning to use solar energy for your business or farm.
You already know how hot and humid it gets. And you probably have an idea of how much electricity you have to burn to keep the AC running all day. And especially for businesses with customer storefronts or showrooms, or farmers with poultry houses, filling up all that square footage with cool air costs some serious money.
So you’ve probably wondered how much you might save on your energy costs with solar panels. But then you have to also wonder:
- How much sunlight does Savannah and the rest of Georgia get each year?
- Can you count on the sun to deliver the energy you need?
- How does Georgia’s sunny weather compare with other states?
Here’s the solar energy weather forecast for Georgia
For this data, from currentresults.com, we have a couple terms to define first:
“Sunny” means no more than 30% cloud cover during daylight hours.
“Partly Sunny” means 40-70% cloud cover during daylight hours — that’s from sunrise to sunset.
Also, Georgia gets over 12 hours of daylight for six months of the year, from about March 20th to September 20th. It dips down to a low of about 10 hours per day on December 21st. So we have pretty consistent patterns of daylight without a lot of fluctuation. The only real issue is cloud cover.
| Location | Sunny Days | Partly Sunny Days | Total Days with Sun per Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah | 104 Days | 110 Days | 214 Days |
| Georgia (Average) | 110 Days | 107 Days | 217 Days |
That means 59.4% of the year, Georgia has sunny or partly sunny days.
How does Georgia sunlight compare to other states?
Washington, Oregon, Ohio, and New York are almost completely overcast for over half of the year. So solar energy will not produce the same value in those states. It will take longer to recover the initial investment.
States like Arizona, California, and Nevada have the most sunlight, which is one reason solar energy is booming in those states.
Percent sun — the number you really want
Now, what about actual sunlight? Another way to measure sunlight in Georgia is to measure the percent of time sunlight actually hits the ground each day. This is called “percent sun.”
When it comes to your solar panels, the % sun is really the number that counts the most, because this is how much time per day your panels will be storing energy.
Percent sun data in georgia
Atlanta: 60% Sun
Macon: 66% Sun
Savannah: 62% Sun
Notice that the percent sun is actually higher than the percent of days in Georgia that are sunny or mostly sunny. The number of days doesn’t really matter, because even on days where the sun shines for less than 30% of the day, your panels still collect whatever solar energy reaches them. Percent sun incorporates year-round sunlight exposure.
Sunlight, solar energy, and temperature
While sunlight is obviously more important than heat when it comes to solar energy, the temperature data helps to fill out this solar energy weather forecast. It’s also worth noting that extreme heat actually reduces the efficiency of solar panels.
So while Arizona may love its sunlight, your panels in Georgia will often be more efficient than solar panels there.
Here are some pertinent average temperatures for Savannah:
- 261 days per year (71.5%) over 70 degrees
- 178 days per year (48.8%) over 80 degrees
- 70 days per year (19.2%) over 90 degrees
This means that for one-fifth of the year, it’s over 90 degrees in Savannah. That’s hot. And that hot sun beats down an average of 62% of the day. But it’s lower than Arizona’s heat!
The only reason these numbers aren’t higher is because the humidity and heat produce those flash thunderstorms you’re familiar with if you’ve lived here long. These storms come and go quickly, but they do interrupt the sunlight during the summer months, and are the reason Savannah gets the majority of its rain in the summer.
Sunlight in Georgia – the summary
So, how much Georgia sunlight will your solar panels get?
Over 60% of the day on average, the sun will be activating your solar panels.
And that’s why, especially with solar power grants and tax rebates, businesses, farms, and homes in Georgia can reasonably expect to recover their initial investment before too long, and then have many wonderful years afterward of drastically reduced energy bills and the satisfaction of being less dependent on the utilities for power.
How much would solar cost you? How much would it return for your investment? Reach out to an expert.
