How much does daylight change through the year in Sydney?

Sydney sits at 33.9° south. Its longest day runs 14h 24m and its shortest 9h 54m — a swing of 4h 31m.

What angle should solar panels be in Sydney?

30° from horizontal, facing north, maximises annual production. That is about 10% more than laying panels flat. If you want to favour winter output, 56° is better; for summer, 2°.

How much power would solar panels produce in Sydney?

About 1,462 kWh per year for every kW installed, at the optimal angle. A typical 6 kW home system would produce roughly 8,771 kWh a year. Dec is the strongest month and Jun the weakest.

How high does the sun get in Sydney?

At the summer solstice the sun reaches 79.6° above the horizon at solar noon. At the winter solstice it only reaches 32.7°. That difference is what drives both the seasons and the ideal panel angle.

Sun times for Sydney

New South Wales, Australia · 33.87°S 151.21°E — southern hemisphere, so panels face north and the seasons run in reverse.

Date

Latitude: -33.8688°
Longitude: 151.2093°
Time zone: Australia/Sydney

Sunrise

06:19 AM

Sunset

05:34 PM

Solar noon

11:56 AM

Sun at 46.4° above horizon

Day length

11h 15m

+1m 57s vs yesterday

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

Photography light

Blue hour (morning): 05:53 AM – 06:03 AM
Golden hour (morning): 06:19 AM – 06:53 AM
Golden hour (evening): 05:00 PM – 05:34 PM
Blue hour (evening): 05:49 PM – 05:59 PM

Twilight

Astronomical dawn: 04:55 AM
Nautical dawn: 05:24 AM
Civil dawn: 05:53 AM
Civil dusk: 05:59 PM
Nautical dusk: 06:28 PM
Astronomical dusk: 06:57 PM

Sun at solar noon: 46.4° elevation, bearing 0° (N). Times assume a flat horizon at sea level.

The year in Sydney

Longest day: 14h 24m
Shortest day: 9h 54m
Sun's highest point: 79.6°
Sun's lowest noon: 32.7°

Sydney 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 Sydney
Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight
January	05:59	20:08	14h 09m
February	06:30	19:48	13h 18m
March	06:54	19:13	12h 20m
April	06:17	17:32	11h 15m
May	06:39	17:02	10h 23m
June	06:58	16:52	9h 55m
July	06:58	17:04	10h 06m
August	06:34	17:25	10h 51m
September	05:55	17:46	11h 52m
October	06:14	19:08	12h 54m
November	05:43	19:35	13h 52m
December	05:38	20:01	14h 23m

Solar potential in Sydney

Sydney receives 4.649 kWh/m² per day on a horizontal surface, averaged over 30 years. Tilting panels to 30° raises annual output by 10%.

System size

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

Panel tilt

30° (optimal for the year)

Direction the panels face

N (0°) — ideal for the southern hemisphere

Estimated annual production

8,771 kWh

1,462 kWh per kW installed · 731 kWh a month on average

Monthly production

Best month 856 kWh · worst month 498 kWh · 1.7× swing

Optimal tilt: 30°
Summer tilt: 2°
Winter tilt: 56°
Gain vs flat: +10%

Based on NASA POWER 30-year climate averages for Sydney 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.

Sydney sun and solar questions

How much does daylight change through the year in Sydney?: Sydney sits at 33.9° south. Its longest day runs 14h 24m and its shortest 9h 54m — a swing of 4h 31m.
What angle should solar panels be in Sydney?: 30° from horizontal, facing north, maximises annual production. That is about 10% more than laying panels flat. If you want to favour winter output, 56° is better; for summer, 2°.
How much power would solar panels produce in Sydney?: About 1,462 kWh per year for every kW installed, at the optimal angle. A typical 6 kW home system would produce roughly 8,771 kWh a year. Dec is the strongest month and Jun the weakest.
How high does the sun get in Sydney?: At the summer solstice the sun reaches 79.6° above the horizon at solar noon. At the winter solstice it only reaches 32.7°. 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.