SunYieldMap

Solar panel output in Chicago, IL

50100150January: 63.4 kWh per kWJan63February: 85.4 kWh per kWFeb85March: 113.9 kWh per kWMar114April: 133.4 kWh per kWApr133May: 140.8 kWh per kWMay141June: 148.0 kWh per kWJun148July: 156.3 kWh per kWJul156August: 141.5 kWh per kWAug142September: 122.2 kWh per kWSep122October: 95.9 kWh per kWOct96November: 72.4 kWh per kWNov72December: 59.9 kWh per kWDec601,333kWh per kWof panels a year
Chicago, kWh per kW each monthU.S. median

Each kilowatt of panels in Chicago makes about 1,333 kWh a year, 8.0% below the median U.S. city.

6 kW facing south at 20°: ≈ 8,000 kWh. Other sizes and layouts

  • Milwaukee lies 138 km away with yearly outputs 0.3% apart. Month by month, Chicago comes out ahead in April, June, July, September, October and November.
  • July is where it ranks highest nationally: 40th of 100 that month, against 77th over the year.
  • Among the ten least productive cities in January.
  • The nearest listed city with more output is Milwaukee, WI (138 km); the nearest with less is Madison, WI (200 km).
  • Winter output drops hard: December to February makes only 47% of June to August, the 12th lowest ratio of the 100 cities.

77th of 100 U.S. cities for yearly output · 4.61 kWh/m² of sun a day on the panel

1,0001,2001,4001,6001,800Anchorage, AK: 951Seattle, WA: 1,088Portland, OR: 1,121Pittsburgh, PA: 1,191Buffalo, NY: 1,202Charleston, WV: 1,219Burlington, VT: 1,222Cleveland, OH: 1,255Manchester, NH: 1,255Cincinnati, OH: 1,273Boston, MA: 1,275Bridgeport, CT: 1,291Providence, RI: 1,294Detroit, MI: 1,295Columbus, OH: 1,296Fargo, ND: 1,304Jersey City, NJ: 1,305Newark, NJ: 1,306Madison, WI: 1,314Portland, ME: 1,316St. Paul, MN: 1,325Indianapolis, IN: 1,332Minneapolis, MN: 1,333Billings, MT: 1,334Milwaukee, WI: 1,338Nashville, TN: 1,338Lexington, KY: 1,342Louisville, KY: 1,344Philadelphia, PA: 1,348New York, NY: 1,353Durham, NC: 1,360Wilmington, DE: 1,364Des Moines, IA: 1,367Raleigh, NC: 1,370Little Rock, AR: 1,370Huntsville, AL: 1,387St. Louis, MO: 1,388Charlotte, NC: 1,391Washington, DC: 1,392Baltimore, MD: 1,392Sioux Falls, SD: 1,409Atlanta, GA: 1,416Houston, TX: 1,421Jackson, MS: 1,428Omaha, NE: 1,431Virginia Beach, VA: 1,434Memphis, TN: 1,439Greensboro, NC: 1,444Kansas City, MO: 1,445Charleston, SC: 1,455Jacksonville, FL: 1,455Boise, ID: 1,468Tulsa, OK: 1,470Lincoln, NE: 1,471Austin, TX: 1,483Salt Lake City, UT: 1,485Dallas, TX: 1,500San Antonio, TX: 1,504Orlando, FL: 1,507New Orleans, LA: 1,521Wichita, KS: 1,526Plano, TX: 1,527Fort Worth, TX: 1,535Oklahoma City, OK: 1,542Corpus Christi, TX: 1,542Arlington, TX: 1,545San Francisco, CA: 1,548Cheyenne, WY: 1,554Miami, FL: 1,558Tampa, FL: 1,568Oakland, CA: 1,582Honolulu, HI: 1,586Denver, CO: 1,602Aurora, CO: 1,612Sacramento, CA: 1,614San Jose, CA: 1,624Stockton, CA: 1,624Colorado Springs, CO: 1,629Fresno, CA: 1,654Irvine, CA: 1,664Reno, NV: 1,667Anaheim, CA: 1,673Santa Ana, CA: 1,676Long Beach, CA: 1,678Los Angeles, CA: 1,679San Diego, CA: 1,682Bakersfield, CA: 1,684Riverside, CA: 1,719Chula Vista, CA: 1,728Gilbert, AZ: 1,750Mesa, AZ: 1,751Chandler, AZ: 1,753Las Vegas, NV: 1,754Phoenix, AZ: 1,755Henderson, NV: 1,769Albuquerque, NM: 1,779North Las Vegas, NV: 1,784Tucson, AZ: 1,788El Paso, TX: 1,835U.S. median 1,450Chicago

Which way should the panels face?

  • 1-axis trackerGround mount
    1,524+14.3%
  • South, tilted 42°
    1,366+2.5%
  • South, 20° tilt
    1,333baseline
  • Flat
    1,160−13.0%
  • West-facing, 20°
    1,134−15.0%
  • East-facing, 20°
    1,132−15.1%
At 42°: +28.0% in December, −10.5% in JunekWh per kW each month
050100150200JanMarMayJulSepNov42° tilt20° roofFlat

Months, best first

Monthly output in Chicago, IL, best to weakest month
MonthkWh per kWRank that month
July156.340
June148.047
August141.552
May140.860
April133.459
September122.262
March113.985
October95.981
February85.482
November72.480
January63.493
December59.985

Nearby cities

Seattle, WA: 1,088 kWh per kWPortland, OR: 1,121 kWh per kWPittsburgh, PA: 1,191 kWh per kWBuffalo, NY: 1,202 kWh per kWCharleston, WV: 1,219 kWh per kWBurlington, VT: 1,222 kWh per kWCleveland, OH: 1,255 kWh per kWManchester, NH: 1,255 kWh per kWCincinnati, OH: 1,273 kWh per kWBoston, MA: 1,275 kWh per kWBridgeport, CT: 1,291 kWh per kWProvidence, RI: 1,294 kWh per kWDetroit, MI: 1,295 kWh per kWColumbus, OH: 1,296 kWh per kWFargo, ND: 1,304 kWh per kWJersey City, NJ: 1,305 kWh per kWNewark, NJ: 1,306 kWh per kWMadison, WI: 1,314 kWh per kWPortland, ME: 1,316 kWh per kWSt. Paul, MN: 1,325 kWh per kWIndianapolis, IN: 1,332 kWh per kWMinneapolis, MN: 1,333 kWh per kWChicago, IL: 1,333 kWh per kWBillings, MT: 1,334 kWh per kWMilwaukee, WI: 1,338 kWh per kWNashville, TN: 1,338 kWh per kWLexington, KY: 1,342 kWh per kWLouisville, KY: 1,344 kWh per kWPhiladelphia, PA: 1,348 kWh per kWNew York, NY: 1,353 kWh per kWDurham, NC: 1,360 kWh per kWWilmington, DE: 1,364 kWh per kWDes Moines, IA: 1,367 kWh per kWRaleigh, NC: 1,370 kWh per kWLittle Rock, AR: 1,370 kWh per kWHuntsville, AL: 1,387 kWh per kWSt. Louis, MO: 1,388 kWh per kWCharlotte, NC: 1,391 kWh per kWWashington, DC: 1,392 kWh per kWBaltimore, MD: 1,392 kWh per kWSioux Falls, SD: 1,409 kWh per kWAtlanta, GA: 1,416 kWh per kWHouston, TX: 1,421 kWh per kWJackson, MS: 1,428 kWh per kWOmaha, NE: 1,431 kWh per kWVirginia Beach, VA: 1,434 kWh per kWMemphis, TN: 1,439 kWh per kWGreensboro, NC: 1,444 kWh per kWKansas City, MO: 1,445 kWh per kWCharleston, SC: 1,455 kWh per kWJacksonville, FL: 1,455 kWh per kWBoise, ID: 1,468 kWh per kWTulsa, OK: 1,470 kWh per kWLincoln, NE: 1,471 kWh per kWAustin, TX: 1,483 kWh per kWSalt Lake City, UT: 1,485 kWh per kWDallas, TX: 1,500 kWh per kWSan Antonio, TX: 1,504 kWh per kWOrlando, FL: 1,507 kWh per kWNew Orleans, LA: 1,521 kWh per kWWichita, KS: 1,526 kWh per kWPlano, TX: 1,527 kWh per kWFort Worth, TX: 1,535 kWh per kWOklahoma City, OK: 1,542 kWh per kWCorpus Christi, TX: 1,542 kWh per kWArlington, TX: 1,545 kWh per kWSan Francisco, CA: 1,548 kWh per kWCheyenne, WY: 1,554 kWh per kWMiami, FL: 1,558 kWh per kWTampa, FL: 1,568 kWh per kWOakland, CA: 1,582 kWh per kWDenver, CO: 1,602 kWh per kWAurora, CO: 1,612 kWh per kWSacramento, CA: 1,614 kWh per kWSan Jose, CA: 1,624 kWh per kWStockton, CA: 1,624 kWh per kWColorado Springs, CO: 1,629 kWh per kWFresno, CA: 1,654 kWh per kWIrvine, CA: 1,664 kWh per kWReno, NV: 1,667 kWh per kWAnaheim, CA: 1,673 kWh per kWSanta Ana, CA: 1,676 kWh per kWLong Beach, CA: 1,678 kWh per kWLos Angeles, CA: 1,679 kWh per kWSan Diego, CA: 1,682 kWh per kWBakersfield, CA: 1,684 kWh per kWRiverside, CA: 1,719 kWh per kWChula Vista, CA: 1,728 kWh per kWGilbert, AZ: 1,750 kWh per kWMesa, AZ: 1,751 kWh per kWChandler, AZ: 1,753 kWh per kWLas Vegas, NV: 1,754 kWh per kWPhoenix, AZ: 1,755 kWh per kWHenderson, NV: 1,769 kWh per kWAlbuquerque, NM: 1,779 kWh per kWNorth Las Vegas, NV: 1,784 kWh per kWTucson, AZ: 1,788 kWh per kWEl Paso, TX: 1,835 kWh per kWChicago 1,333Indianapolis 1,332Milwaukee 1,338

Same yearly output

Most similar seasons

How these figures are made · Guides