Iowa, United States
Solar Camera Sun Hours in Des Moines, Iowa: Winter Guide
Winter charging needs checking
Des Moines sits in the middle. Its dimmest month, December, averages 1.67 peak sun hours a day. That can be enough for some low-power solar cameras, but it depends on the camera's power use and battery, so check before you buy.
Des Moines sun hours, month by month
Monthly figures and 5 W panel estimate
| Month | Peak sun hours a day | 5 W panel, Wh a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1.97 | 7.39 |
| February | 2.99 | 11.21 |
| March | 3.82 | 14.32 |
| April | 4.83 | 18.11 |
| May | 5.65 | 21.19 |
| June | 6.29 | 23.59 |
| July | 6.38 | 23.93 |
| August | 5.54 | 20.77 |
| September | 4.56 | 17.10 |
| October | 3.13 | 11.74 |
| November | 2.17 | 8.14 |
| December | 1.67 | 6.26 |
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 Des Moines
Sunlight is one important factor, alongside the camera's battery size, how much power it uses, cold and shade. July has about 3.8 times the sun of December. Cold matters too: many lithium batteries will not charge below freezing, so check the camera's rated charging temperature.
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.
- The months to watch are January and December. In December a 5 W panel collects about 6.26 Wh a day by our estimate, so check that your camera's daily use is below that or that its battery can cover the gap.
- Tilt the panel about 57° from horizontal, facing south in the US, for the best output in the dim months.
- Motion-triggered recording uses far less power than continuous recording, so set a sensible detection zone.
- If your camera can be charged over USB or DC, a portable power station can top it up through the dimmest weeks. Check the camera's charging input, voltage and connector, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
About the panel angle: 57° is your latitude (about 42°) 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.
- Des Moines (this page)1.67
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa1.54
- Omaha, Nebraska1.72
- Davenport, Iowa1.52
- Lincoln, Nebraska1.89
Check a camera against Des Moines's winter
Before you buy, look for these on the product page or in the manual:
- Daily power use. Compare it with the 6.26 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. Des Moines has freezing winters, so check the lowest temperature the battery can charge at.
- Connection. Wi-Fi models need your router in range; 4G models need mobile coverage and a data plan.
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 Des Moines in winter?
For many low-power models, yes, but expect the camera to lean on its battery in December, when the average is only 1.67 peak sun hours. 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 Des Moines?
A common rule of thumb for the dim months is latitude plus about 15 degrees. For Des Moines that is roughly 57° 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 Des Moines's coordinates (41.57, -93.61). 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 Des Moines at 41.57, -93.61. 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.