Coolidge, Arizona represents an excellent location for year-round solar energy generation, positioned in the Northern Sub Tropics at coordinates 32.9778, -111.5176. This desert community benefits from abundant sunshine throughout most of the year, making it highly suitable for solar photovoltaic installations.

Seasonal Solar Production Performance

The solar energy output at this location shows strong seasonal variation but maintains good production levels year-round:

• Spring: 8.01 kWh/day per kW installed - the peak production season
• Summer: 7.73 kWh/day per kW installed - excellent production despite extreme heat
• Autumn: 5.55 kWh/day per kW installed - moderate production as daylight hours decrease
• Winter: 4.28 kWh/day per kW installed - lowest production but still viable

Spring emerges as the ideal time for solar generation, closely followed by summer. Even during the winter months, solar panels at this location produce more than half of their peak seasonal output, demonstrating the year-round viability of solar installations.

Optimal Panel Configuration

For maximum year-round energy production at Coolidge, solar panels should be installed at a fixed tilt angle of 29 degrees facing south. This angle has been calculated to optimize total annual solar output by accounting for the sun's changing position throughout the year and weighting the angles based on actual solar irradiance data.

Environmental Challenges and Solutions

Several significant environmental factors in the Coolidge area can impact solar panel performance, but each has practical solutions: Dust and Sand Accumulation: The desert environment creates frequent dust storms and ongoing sand deposition on panel surfaces. This buildup can significantly reduce energy output by blocking sunlight from reaching the photovoltaic cells. Regular cleaning schedules, automated washing systems, or anti-soiling coatings can help maintain peak performance. Extreme Heat: Summer temperatures in Arizona regularly exceed 110°F, which can reduce solar panel efficiency and accelerate component degradation. Installing panels with adequate ventilation spacing beneath them, using heat-resistant mounting systems, and selecting panels with better high-temperature performance ratings can mitigate these effects. Intense UV Radiation: The high desert location exposes solar equipment to exceptionally strong ultraviolet radiation year-round, potentially causing premature aging of panel materials and wiring. Choosing panels with robust UV-resistant materials and protective coatings extends system lifespan. Monsoon Weather: Arizona's summer monsoon season brings sudden intense storms with heavy rain, hail, and strong winds. Proper structural mounting systems rated for high wind loads and impact-resistant panel glass help protect installations during severe weather events. Despite these challenges, Coolidge's exceptional solar resource makes it an outstanding location for solar energy production when proper installation techniques and maintenance practices are employed.

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 4253 locations across the United States. This analysis provides insights into each city/location's potential for harnessing solar energy through PV installations.

Link: Solar PV potential in the United States by location

Solar output per kW of installed solar PV by season in Coolidge

Seasonal solar PV output for Latitude: 32.9778, Longitude: -111.5176 (Coolidge, United States), 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 29° South in Coolidge, United States

To maximize your solar PV system's energy output in Coolidge, United States (Lat/Long 32.9778, -111.5176) throughout the year, you should tilt your panels at an angle of 29° 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 Coolidge, United States

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 Coolidge, United States. As mentioned earlier, for fixed-panel solar PV installations, it is optimal to maintain a 29° South tilt angle throughout the year.

Overall Best Summer Angle	Overall Best Autumn Angle	Overall Best Winter Angle	Overall Best Spring Angle
17° South in Summer	38° South in Autumn	48° South in Winter	26° 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 Coolidge, United States

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 Coolidge, United States.

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 Coolidge, United States

Topography Around Coolidge, Arizona

Coolidge sits in the heart of the Sonoran Desert within Arizona's Pinal County, positioned in a broad, relatively flat valley surrounded by distant mountain ranges. The immediate terrain around the city is characterized by gently rolling desert plains with minimal elevation changes, making it part of the expansive Lower Sonoran Desert ecosystem. The landscape features typical desert topography with scattered low hills, arroyos (dry washes), and vast stretches of relatively level ground that extend for miles in multiple directions.

The area experiences a classic Basin and Range topography, where the town itself occupies a valley floor between several mountain ranges. To the east, the Picacho Mountains rise prominently from the desert floor, while the Table Top Mountains lie to the southwest. The Santa Catalina Mountains are visible to the northeast, and the Superstition Mountains can be seen to the north. Despite these surrounding peaks, the immediate vicinity of Coolidge remains remarkably flat, with gentle slopes and minimal terrain obstacles.

The desert floor consists primarily of alluvial deposits that have accumulated over millennia, creating broad, smooth surfaces interrupted only by occasional desert washes and low ridges. The soil composition includes caliche layers beneath sandy and gravelly surface materials typical of the Sonoran Desert. Vegetation is sparse and consists mainly of creosote bush, palo verde trees, various cacti species, and other drought-adapted desert plants that grow in scattered patterns across the landscape.

Optimal Areas for Large-Scale Solar Development

The expansive flat terrain surrounding Coolidge presents exceptional opportunities for large-scale solar photovoltaic installations. The most suitable areas lie to the west and southwest of the city, where thousands of acres of relatively undeveloped desert land offer minimal topographical challenges. These areas feature gentle slopes of less than five percent grade, which is ideal for solar panel installation and reduces construction and maintenance costs significantly.

The region immediately south of Coolidge toward the Picacho Peak area contains particularly promising terrain for solar development. This zone combines optimal flatness with proximity to existing electrical transmission infrastructure, including major power lines that traverse the area. The desert floor in this direction extends for miles without significant elevation changes, natural obstacles, or dense vegetation that would require extensive clearing.

Areas to the northwest of Coolidge, extending toward the Casa Grande valley, also present excellent potential for solar installations. This region benefits from consistent flat topography and strategic positioning between major population centers, facilitating power transmission to both Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. The terrain consists of stable desert pavement and hardpan surfaces that provide solid foundations for large solar arrays.

The eastern approaches toward the Picacho Mountains offer additional suitable locations, particularly in the transitional zones where the valley floor begins its gradual rise toward the mountain foothills. These areas maintain sufficient flatness for solar development while offering slight elevation advantages that can improve drainage and reduce dust accumulation on solar panels. The combination of stable geology, minimal vegetation, and excellent solar exposure makes these locations particularly attractive for utility-scale projects.

United States solar PV Stats as a country

United States ranks 2nd in the world for cumulative solar PV capacity, with 95,209 total MW's of solar PV installed. This means that 3.40% of United States's total energy as a country comes from solar PV (that's 26th in the world). Each year United States is generating 289 Watts from solar PV per capita (United States ranks 15th in the world for solar PV Watts generated per capita). [source]

Are there incentives for businesses to install solar in United States?

Yes, there are several incentives for businesses wanting to install solar energy in the United States. These include federal tax credits, state and local rebates, net metering policies, and renewable energy certificates (RECs). Additionally, many states have enacted legislation that requires utilities to purchase a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources such as solar.

Do you have more up to date information than this on incentives towards solar PV projects in United States? Please reach out to us and help us keep this information current. Thanks!

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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.