Hunter Valley's Leading Residential & Commercial Solar Installers
Hunter Valley's Leading Residential & Commercial Solar Installers
Posted 29 Jul
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With summer around the corner, it is about to become the best time of the year to own solar in the Hunter. Longer days paired with the higher sun means that your solar panels will work harder and longer compared to other seasons. This guide shows what a 6.6kW, 10kW, and 13kW system should generate each month, why summer beats winter, and what to do now to get the most out of the season.
Quick answer: A 6.6kW solar system in Newcastle generates around 32-36kWh per day in summer (December), and about 19-22kWh in Winter (June). This means that solar systems will be reduced in winter by around 35-40% compared to summer months. It comes down to the higher sun, longer days, and more peak sun hours.
| Summer |
Winter |
|
| Sunrise & Sunset | 5:40am - 8:00pm | 7:00am - 5:00pm |
| Daylight Hours (Peak) |
14.4 Hours | 10 Hours |
| Midday Sun Angle |
80 Degrees | 31 Degrees |
| Peak Sun Hours |
5 - 5.5 Hours |
3 - 3.5 Hours |
| 6.6kW System Output | 32-36 Hours | 19-22 Hours |
Estimated times are for the solstice, in daylight saving time in summer. Peak sun hours and output are monthly averages from Bureau of Meteorology solar exposure data.
Solar produces more in the summer due to 3 elements.
1. The Sun is higher in Summer. At around midday in NSW, the sun reaches a peak of 80 degrees above the horizon in December, and only around 34 degrees in July. The higher sun results in greater solar delivery to each panel.
2. The days are longer in Summer. With over 4+ extra hours of daylight during summer, it enables panels to continue generating for longer - starting earlier and finishing later.
3. Summer has more peak sun hours. A peak sun hour is when the sun is at its full strength sunshine, and in Newcastle summer reaches up to 5.5 hours, and winter up to 3.5 hours of peak sunlight.
The change between seasons is gradual. Output builds through spring and fades through autumn, so there is no cliff in either direction.
The shift from winter to summer and back is gradual, not a switch. Understanding how your system ramps through spring, and drops through autumn - helps you set realistic expectations and spot genuine underperformance versus normal seasonal variation.
| Month | Peak sun hours | 6.6kW system | 10kW system | 13.3kW system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 5.0–5.4 | 32–36 kWh | 48–55 kWh | 64–73 kWh |
| January | 5.2–5.5 | 32–36 kWh | 48–55 kWh | 64–73 kWh |
| February | 4.8–5.2 | 30–33 kWh | 45–50 kWh | 60–67 kWh |
| March | 4.2–4.6 | 26–30 kWh | 39–45 kWh | 52–60 kWh |
| April | 3.8–4.2 | 22–26 kWh | 33–39 kWh | 44–52 kWh |
| May | 3.2–3.6 | 20–23 kWh | 30–35 kWh | 40–46 kWh |
| June | 3.0–3.3 | 19–22 kWh | 29–33 kWh | 38–44 kWh |
| July | 3.1–3.5 | 20–23 kWh | 30–35 kWh | 40–46 kWh |
| August | 3.6–4.0 | 23–26 kWh | 35–39 kWh | 46–52 kWh |
| September | 4.0–4.4 | 25–29 kWh | 38–44 kWh | 50–58 kWh |
| October | 4.5–4.9 | 28–32 kWh | 42–48 kWh | 56–64 kWh |
| November | 4.8–5.2 | 30–34 kWh | 45–52 kWh | 60–69 kWh |
Source: Bureau of Meteorology solar exposure data. Real output depends on your roof direction, tilt, shading, inverter and the weather on the day.
Over a full year a 6.6kW system averages roughly 26 kWh a day, so summer is where most of your annual generation comes from.
Yes, solar panel direction matters as it changes when your solar is produced.
North-facing panels are the ideal direction for NSW properties.
East-facing solar panels helps produce more energy in the mornings.
West-facing panels are best for afternoon solar production.
A multi-array system can suit homes that use most of their energy in the morning and evenings. For properties with battery storage, a
north-facing solar system will generally be enough but this will depend on the home and usage.
Across every season on average, solar production is mostly between 10am to 2pm. In summer the times are broader with strong solar output from about 9am to 4pm. Winter is narrower and has less peak hours.
Referring to the graph comparing the exact same system during winter vs. summer, you can see that summer has a much broader amount of hours where sunlight hits the panels, making it much better for your solar generation.
In the winter months, the sun starts to rise around 7:30am, peaks between 11am-12:45pm producing the most solar energy, then sets at around 4:30pm.
In summer months, the sun rises around 6:45am, and peaks in solar production between 11am-3pm, and tapers around 7pm.
Summer is the best season for solar, however there are 3 things that could reduce your overall generation.
1. Heat reduces your panel efficiency. When panels get hot, they begin to lose their efficiency with some panels dropping -0.29%/C°. On a 35° day, the panels will sit at around 60° and lose roughly 10% of their efficiency at the hottest part of the day. The lost efficiency is generally made up by the longer days.
2. Inverter Bottlenecks. Whilst a 6.6kW solar and 5kW inverter system is common, a clear summer's day will hit the 5kW limit pretty quickly and flatten its performance. However, these systems are designed to capture greater solar production during the morning and afternoon.
3. Storms & Smoke. Summer also brings various weather including heavy storm clouds, wind which can kick dust up on the panels, and bushfire smoke which can all affect the output during the day. Bushfire smoke is very common in the Maitland & Port Stephens region.
Daylight savings does not change how much power your solar panels make. It changes when the power is generated. Starting on October 4th 2026, daylight savings will last until Sunday, 4th April, 2027.
With the clock moved forward, the sun is at its peak at around 12:40-1pm, so the strongest solar window is roughly between 11am to 3pm. This also means that the sun sets closer to 7-8pm, which will help cover more evening cooking and laundry energy usage with solar power - helping save on energy bills.
If you run your pool pump, hot water, or any other controlled loads during the day, double check that they are running at the optimal hours as it will shift in daylght savings.
As of the time of this article, your solar output is highest from now until March. This is the season to get the most out of your energy, so run your big appliances in the middle of the day, keep an eye on your monitoring app, and set your timers correctly.
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