How much does daylight change through the year in New York?

New York sits at 40.7° north. Its longest day runs 15h 06m and its shortest 9h 15m — a swing of 5h 51m.

What angle should solar panels be in New York?

32° from horizontal, facing south, maximises annual production. That is about 12% more than laying panels flat. If you want to favour winter output, 60° is better; for summer, 6°.

How much power would solar panels produce in New York?

About 1,247 kWh per year for every kW installed, at the optimal angle. A typical 6 kW home system would produce roughly 7,482 kWh a year. Jul is the strongest month and Dec the weakest.

How high does the sun get in New York?

At the summer solstice the sun reaches 72.7° above the horizon at solar noon. At the winter solstice it only reaches 25.8°. That difference is what drives both the seasons and the ideal panel angle.

Sun times for New York

New York, United States · 40.71°N 74.01°W — the sun sits noticeably lower here in winter than most people expect.

Date

Latitude: 40.7128°
Longitude: -74.0060°
Time zone: America/New_York

Sunrise

06:19 AM

Sunset

07:34 PM

Solar noon

12:57 PM

Sun at 58.8° above horizon

Day length

13h 15m

−2m 33s vs yesterday

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

Photography light

Blue hour (morning): 05:50 AM – 06:01 AM
Golden hour (morning): 06:19 AM – 06:55 AM
Golden hour (evening): 06:57 PM – 07:34 PM
Blue hour (evening): 07:51 PM – 08:02 PM

Twilight

Astronomical dawn: 04:41 AM
Nautical dawn: 05:16 AM
Civil dawn: 05:50 AM
Civil dusk: 08:02 PM
Nautical dusk: 08:36 PM
Astronomical dusk: 09:12 PM

Sun at solar noon: 58.8° elevation, bearing 180° (S). Times assume a flat horizon at sea level.

The year in New York

Longest day: 15h 06m
Shortest day: 9h 15m
Sun's highest point: 72.7°
Sun's lowest noon: 25.8°

New York sunrise and sunset by month

Times for the 15th of each month, local time, adjusted for daylight saving where it applies.

Monthly sunrise and sunset times for New York
Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight
January	07:17	16:53	9h 35m
February	06:49	17:30	10h 41m
March	07:07	19:02	11h 55m
April	06:17	19:35	13h 18m
May	05:38	20:06	14h 28m
June	05:24	20:28	15h 05m
July	05:37	20:25	14h 48m
August	06:06	19:53	13h 48m
September	06:36	19:05	12h 28m
October	07:07	18:15	11h 08m
November	06:42	16:37	9h 55m
December	07:13	16:29	9h 16m

Solar potential in New York

New York receives 3.921 kWh/m² per day on a horizontal surface, averaged over 30 years. Tilting panels to 32° raises annual output by 12%.

System size

A typical home system is 5–10 kW. Roughly 15 panels for 6 kW.

Panel tilt

32° (optimal for the year)

Direction the panels face

S (180°) — ideal for the northern hemisphere

Estimated annual production

7,482 kWh

1,247 kWh per kW installed · 624 kWh a month on average

Monthly production

Best month 811 kWh · worst month 385 kWh · 2.1× swing

Optimal tilt: 32°
Summer tilt: 6°
Winter tilt: 60°
Gain vs flat: +12%

Based on NASA POWER 30-year climate averages for New York and a 78% system performance ratio. Long-term expectation, not a guarantee for any single year. Shading, roof pitch and local rules are not modelled.

New York sun and solar questions

How much does daylight change through the year in New York?: New York sits at 40.7° north. Its longest day runs 15h 06m and its shortest 9h 15m — a swing of 5h 51m.
What angle should solar panels be in New York?: 32° from horizontal, facing south, maximises annual production. That is about 12% more than laying panels flat. If you want to favour winter output, 60° is better; for summer, 6°.
How much power would solar panels produce in New York?: About 1,247 kWh per year for every kW installed, at the optimal angle. A typical 6 kW home system would produce roughly 7,482 kWh a year. Jul is the strongest month and Dec the weakest.
How high does the sun get in New York?: At the summer solstice the sun reaches 72.7° above the horizon at solar noon. At the winter solstice it only reaches 25.8°. That difference is what drives both the seasons and the ideal panel angle.

Sun times assume a flat horizon at sea level. Solar figures are long-term climate averages and do not account for shading, roof pitch or local regulations. See the methodology.