Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, located in the Bahamas, offers a promising environment for solar energy generation throughout the year. This Northern Sub-Tropical location benefits from substantial sunlight, making it an attractive option for solar PV installations.

Seasonal Solar Performance

The solar energy potential in Dunmore Town varies across seasons, with peak production occurring during spring and summer. In spring, solar panels can generate an impressive 7.17 kWh per day for each kilowatt of installed capacity. Summer follows closely behind with 7.10 kWh/day. These seasons provide optimal conditions for solar energy production. Autumn and winter see a decrease in solar output, with 5.04 kWh/day and 4.51 kWh/day respectively. While these figures are lower, they still represent significant energy generation potential, especially when compared to many other locations worldwide.

Ideal Panel Placement

To maximize year-round solar energy production in Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, fixed solar panels should be tilted at an angle of 22 degrees facing south. This optimal angle ensures the panels capture the most sunlight throughout the year, accounting for the Earth's elliptical orbit and the location's specific latitude.

Environmental Considerations

While Dunmore Town's climate is generally favorable for solar energy production, there are some environmental factors to consider: 1. Hurricane risk: The Bahamas is prone to hurricanes, which can potentially damage solar installations. To mitigate this risk, robust mounting systems and high-quality, wind-resistant panels should be used. 2. Salt air exposure: Being a coastal location, salt air can corrode solar equipment over time. Using corrosion-resistant materials and applying protective coatings can help extend the lifespan of solar installations. 3. High humidity: The tropical climate can lead to moisture buildup on panels. Regular cleaning and maintenance can prevent this from affecting energy production. By addressing these factors during installation and maintenance, solar energy systems in Dunmore Town can operate efficiently and reliably, taking full advantage of the location's excellent solar potential throughout the year.

Note: The Northern Sub Tropics extend from 23.5° latitude North up to 35° latitude.

So far, we have conducted calculations to evaluate the solar photovoltaic (PV) potential in 5 locations across Bahamas. This analysis provides insights into each city/location's potential for harnessing solar energy through PV installations.

Link: Solar PV potential in Bahamas by location

Solar output per kW of installed solar PV by season in Dunmore Town

Seasonal solar PV output for Latitude: 25.5, Longitude: -76.65 (Dunmore Town, Bahamas), based on our analysis of 8760 hourly intervals of solar and meteorological data (one whole year) retrieved for that set of coordinates/location from NASA POWER (The Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources) API:

 

Ideally tilt fixed solar panels 22° South in Dunmore Town, Bahamas

To maximize your solar PV system's energy output in Dunmore Town, Bahamas (Lat/Long 25.5, -76.65) throughout the year, you should tilt your panels at an angle of 22° South for fixed panel installations.

As the Earth revolves around the Sun each year, the maximum angle of elevation of the Sun varies by +/- 23.45 degrees from its equinox elevation angle for a particular latitude. Finding the exact optimal angle to maximise solar PV production throughout the year can be challenging, but with careful consideration of historical solar energy and meteorological data for a certain location, it can be done precisely.

We use our own calculation, which incorporates NASA solar and meteorological data for the exact Lat/Long coordinates, to determine the ideal tilt angle of a solar panel that will yield maximum annual solar output. We calculate the optimal angle for each day of the year, taking into account its contribution to the yearly total PV potential at that specific location.

Seasonally adjusted solar panel tilt angles for Dunmore Town, Bahamas

If you can adjust the tilt angle of your solar PV panels, please refer to the seasonal tilt angles below for optimal solar energy production in Dunmore Town, Bahamas. As mentioned earlier, for fixed-panel solar PV installations, it is optimal to maintain a 22° South tilt angle throughout the year.

Overall Best Summer Angle	Overall Best Autumn Angle	Overall Best Winter Angle	Overall Best Spring Angle
10° South in Summer	30° South in Autumn	41° South in Winter	19° South in Spring

Our recommendations take into account more than just latitude and Earth's position in its elliptical orbit around the Sun. We also incorporate historical solar and meteorological data from NASA's Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) API to assign a weight to each ideal angle for each day based on its historical contribution to overall solar PV potential during a specific season.

This approach allows us to provide much more accurate recommendations than relying solely on latitude, as it considers unique weather conditions in different locations sharing the same latitude worldwide.

Calculate solar panel row spacing in Dunmore Town, Bahamas

We've added a feature to calculate minimum solar panel row spacing by location. Enter your panel size and orientation below to get the minimum spacing in Dunmore Town, Bahamas.

Our calculation method

1. Solar Position:
   We determine the Sun's position on the Winter solstice using the location's latitude and solar declination.
2. Shadow Projection:
   We calculate the shadow length cast by panels using trigonometry, considering panel tilt and the Sun's elevation angle.
3. Minimum Spacing:
   We add the shadow length to the horizontal space occupied by tilted panels.

This approach ensures maximum space efficiency while avoiding shading during critical times, as the Winter solstice represents the worst-case scenario for shadow length.

Topography for solar PV around Dunmore Town, Bahamas

Dunmore Town, located on Harbour Island in the Bahamas, is situated in an area characterized by relatively flat, low-lying terrain. The island itself is small, measuring only about 3.5 miles long and less than half a mile wide at its widest point. The topography of Dunmore Town and its surrounding areas is primarily composed of sandy beaches, gentle slopes, and low-lying coastal plains. The coastline of Harbour Island features stunning pink sand beaches, particularly along its eastern shore. These beaches are backed by low dunes and sparse vegetation. Moving inland, the terrain gradually rises to form a modest central ridge that runs the length of the island. This ridge, while not particularly high, provides some gentle undulations in the landscape.

Nearby Areas Suitable for Large-Scale Solar PV

When considering areas nearby that would be most suited to large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, it's important to look beyond the immediate vicinity of Dunmore Town and Harbour Island. The limited land area and the focus on tourism make Harbour Island itself less than ideal for such developments. Eleuthera, the larger island to the south of Harbour Island, offers more potential for large-scale solar PV projects. Eleuthera's topography is similar to Harbour Island but on a larger scale. It features extensive areas of flat or gently sloping land that could accommodate solar arrays. The central and southern portions of Eleuthera, in particular, have open areas with good sun exposure that could be suitable for solar development. Another potential area for solar PV installations is the island of Great Abaco, located to the northwest. Great Abaco has vast stretches of relatively flat terrain, especially in its southern regions. These areas receive ample sunlight and could potentially support large-scale solar projects without significantly impacting populated areas or sensitive ecosystems. It's worth noting that while these nearby islands offer more suitable topography for large-scale solar PV, any development would need to carefully consider environmental impacts, land use regulations, and the potential effects on local communities and tourism. Additionally, the vulnerability of the region to hurricanes would require robust engineering and design considerations for any solar installations.

Citation Guide

Article Details for Citation

Tell Us About Your Work

We love seeing how our research helps others! If you've cited this article in your work, we'd be delighted to hear about it. Drop us a line via our Contact Us page or on X, to share where you've used our information - we may feature a link to your work on our site. This helps create a network of valuable resources for others in the solar energy community and helps us understand how our research is contributing to the field. Plus, we occasionally highlight exceptional works that reference our research on our social media channels.

Feeling generous?

Share this with your friends!

Compare this location to others worldwide for solar PV potential

The solar PV analyses available on our website, including this one, are offered as a free service to the global community. Our aim is to provide education and aid informed decision-making regarding solar PV installations.

However, please note that these analyses are general guidance and may not meet specific project requirements. For in-depth, tailored forecasts and analysis crucial for feasibility studies or when pursuing maximum ROI from your solar projects, feel free to contact us; we offer comprehensive consulting services expressly for this purpose.

Helping you assess viability of solar PV for your site

Calculate Your Optimal Solar Panel Tilt Angle: A Comprehensive Guide

Enhance your solar panel's performance with our in-depth guide. Determine the best tilt angle using hard data, debunk common misunderstandings, and gain insight into how your specific location affects solar energy production.