Colorado, United States

Solar Camera Sun Hours in Denver: Winter Guide

Q: What angle should I mount the panel at in Denver?

Roughly 55 degrees from horizontal, facing south in the US, using the rule of thumb of latitude plus about 15 degrees. It is an estimate.

Good sun all year

Denver gets good sun all year. Even December, the dimmest month, averages 2.29 peak sun hours a day, which is usually enough for a low-power solar camera.

Denver at noon on the December solstice. The shaded half is in darkness, and the dashed line marks where the sun is overhead. Drag to turn the globe.

2.29hPeak sun a day in December, the dimmest month

7.22hIn June, the sunniest month. The yearly average is 4.85 h.

78of 249Winter sun rank among the places we checked (1 is sunniest)

Denver sun hours, month by month

2.59

3.54

4.73

5.77

6.47

7.22

7.00

6.31

5.37

3.98

2.87

2.29

2 h

Average peak sun hours per day, from NASA's 25-year monthly climatology. A peak sun hour is one hour of full-strength sunlight (1,000 W per square metre) on a flat surface. The dashed 2-hour line is a planning guide, not a hard limit: below it, a 5 W panel collects under about 7.5 Wh a day by our estimate, so the battery has to cover more of the camera's use.

NASA averages sunlight over grid squares roughly 100 km across, so these figures also apply to Aurora, Thornton, Centennial.

Monthly figures and 5 W panel estimate

Month	Peak sun hours a day	5 W panel, Wh a day
January	2.59	9.71
February	3.54	13.28
March	4.73	17.74
April	5.77	21.64
May	6.47	24.26
June	7.22	27.07
July	7.00	26.25
August	6.31	23.66
September	5.37	20.14
October	3.98	14.93
November	2.87	10.76
December	2.29	8.59

Panel estimate = 5 W × peak sun hours × 0.75. The 0.75 allows for real-world losses such as panel angle, heat, dust and charging. It is a planning figure, not a guarantee, and a camera's own panel may be rated higher or lower than 5 W.

What this means for a solar or 4G camera in Denver

Sunlight is one important factor, alongside the camera's battery size, how much power it uses, cold and shade. June has about 3.2 times the sun of December. Denver gets strong winter sun: even December averages 2.29 peak sun hours, so solar cameras are a realistic year-round choice. No month falls below 2 peak sun hours.

8.59Wh a dayWhat a 5 W panel would collect in December, by our estimate

27.07Wh a dayThe same panel in June

Compare these with the camera's daily power use, the energy it uses in a typical day, in Wh. Few listings give it directly; some give a typical runtime instead, which you can turn into daily use by dividing the battery's stored energy by the number of days it lasts.

Battery capacity is different: it is stored energy, not daily use. A 10,000 mAh battery at 3.7 V holds 10,000 × 3.7 ÷ 1,000 = 37 Wh. That tells you how long the camera can run when the panel falls short, not how much it needs each day. If daily use is higher than what the panel collects, the battery covers the gap until it runs low.

Even in December a 5 W panel collects about 8.59 Wh a day by our estimate. Compare that with your camera's daily use; shade is usually a bigger risk here than the season.
Tilt the panel about 55° toward the equator and keep it clear of branches and eaves.
Dust, pollen and heat haze trim output, so wipe the panel a couple of times a year.
Longer clips and higher-quality recording settings use more power. With more sun to work with, you may have room for them, but check the camera's battery life figures first.

About the panel angle: 55° is your latitude (about 40°) plus roughly 15°, a common rule of thumb for getting the most from low winter sun. It is an estimate, and the best angle for your spot depends on shade and how the panel mounts.

Nearby places compared

Peak sun hours a day in each place's dimmest month.

Check a camera against Denver's winter

Before you buy, look for these on the product page or in the manual:

Daily power use. Compare it with the 8.59 Wh a day a 5 W panel collects here in December. Don't compare the battery's capacity with this number: capacity tells you how many days of reserve you have, not what the camera uses.
Panel size. A bigger panel, or one you can mount away from the camera in full sun, gives you more margin.
Charging temperature. Check the camera's rated operating and charging temperatures.
Connection. Wi-Fi models need your router in range; 4G models need mobile coverage and a data plan.

Solar security camerasCompare panel and battery details on each listing 4G solar camerasNo Wi-Fi needed. For cottages, job sites and gates Solar Wi-Fi camerasFor yards within range of your router Portable power stationsBackup for dim weeks and outages, for compatible devices

Check your own address with the Solar Winter Check, plan camera positions with the Coverage Planner, or compare all 249 places.

Common questions

Will a solar security camera work in Denver in winter?

Usually, yes. Even in December the average is 2.29 peak sun hours, so a low-power solar camera should keep charging. The camera's power use, battery size, shade, snow on the panel and panel angle all matter as much as the city average.

What angle should I mount the panel at in Denver?

A common rule of thumb for the dim months is latitude plus about 15 degrees. For Denver that is roughly 55° from horizontal, facing south in the US. It is an estimate; a steeper angle also helps snow slide off.

How did you work these numbers out?

We took NASA POWER's monthly climatology of all-sky solar irradiance on a horizontal surface (parameter ALLSKY_SFC_SW_DWN, 25-year average, 2001 to 2025) at Denver's coordinates (39.76, -104.88). That value, in kWh per square metre per day, equals peak sun hours. The 5 W panel figure is 5 × peak sun hours × 0.75, and the rank sorts all 249 places by their dimmest month.

Do I need Wi-Fi?

No. A 4G camera uses a mobile data plan instead, which suits places without Wi-Fi. Check coverage at your property before buying, and note that a data plan is an extra running cost.

Source: NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), monthly climatology 2001 to 2025, all-sky surface shortwave downward irradiance (ALLSKY_SFC_SW_DWN), retrieved October 2026 for Denver at 39.76, -104.88. Solar data is gridded at roughly 1° (about 100 km). Figures are long-term averages and will not match any single day or week. Panel estimates and rankings are our own calculations.