Kerman, California presents a highly favorable location for year-round solar photovoltaic energy generation, with consistently strong performance across all seasons. This location in California's Central Valley demonstrates excellent solar potential throughout the entire year.

Seasonal Solar Performance

The solar energy output at Kerman shows impressive seasonal variation that still maintains good production even during winter months. Summer delivers the peak performance at 8.69 kWh per day per kW of installed capacity, making it the most productive season for solar generation. Spring follows as the second-best season with 7.68 kWh per day per kW, offering nearly as much energy production as summer. Autumn provides moderate but still substantial output at 5.01 kWh per day per kW of installed solar capacity. Even winter, typically the weakest season for solar production, generates a respectable 3.22 kWh per day per kW, which is considerably better than many locations at similar latitudes.

Optimal Installation Configuration

For maximum year-round energy production at Kerman, solar panels should be installed at a fixed tilt angle of 31 degrees facing south. This optimal angle is calculated by analyzing daily solar elevation angles throughout the year and weighting them according to solar irradiance data to maximize total annual output.

Local Environmental Challenges

Kerman's location in California's Central Valley presents several environmental factors that can significantly impact solar panel performance and require careful consideration during installation.

Dust and Agricultural Particulates

The Central Valley's intensive agricultural activities generate substantial dust and airborne particles that can accumulate on solar panels, reducing their efficiency over time. The region's dry climate and frequent farming operations, including tilling, harvesting, and crop spraying, contribute to this challenge. To mitigate dust accumulation, install panels with adequate tilt (the recommended 31-degree angle helps with natural cleaning from rain), ensure proper spacing between panel rows for maintenance access, and establish a regular cleaning schedule. Consider installing automated cleaning systems or plan for monthly manual cleaning during peak agricultural seasons.

Extreme Heat

Kerman experiences very high summer temperatures that can reduce solar panel efficiency, as photovoltaic cells perform less efficiently as temperatures rise above their optimal operating range. Combat heat-related efficiency losses by ensuring proper ventilation beneath panels through adequate mounting height and spacing. Choose panels with better temperature coefficients and consider ground-mounted systems that allow better airflow compared to roof installations.

Valley Fog and Air Quality

The Central Valley occasionally experiences dense fog, particularly during winter months, and air quality issues from both agricultural activities and regional pollution can reduce solar irradiance reaching the panels. While these factors cannot be eliminated, proper panel positioning away from trees or structures that might trap moisture, and maintaining clean panel surfaces, helps maximize energy capture during clear periods.

Wildfire Smoke

California's wildfire seasons can create extended periods of reduced solar production due to smoke blocking sunlight, though this is typically temporary. Install monitoring systems to track performance and plan for backup power during extended smoke events. Ensure panels and mounting systems meet fire-resistant building codes for the area.

Note: The Northern Temperate Zone extends from 35° latitude North up to 66.5° 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 Kerman

Seasonal solar PV output for Latitude: 36.7236, Longitude: -120.0599 (Kerman, 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 31° South in Kerman, United States

To maximize your solar PV system's energy output in Kerman, United States (Lat/Long 36.7236, -120.0599) throughout the year, you should tilt your panels at an angle of 31° 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 Kerman, 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 Kerman, United States. As mentioned earlier, for fixed-panel solar PV installations, it is optimal to maintain a 31° South tilt angle throughout the year.

Overall Best Summer Angle	Overall Best Autumn Angle	Overall Best Winter Angle	Overall Best Spring Angle
20° South in Summer	41° South in Autumn	51° South in Winter	29° 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 Kerman, 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 Kerman, 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 Kerman, United States

Topographical Features Around Kerman

Kerman sits in the heart of California's Central Valley, positioned on remarkably flat agricultural land that stretches for miles in every direction. The terrain around this small community is characterized by gentle, rolling plains with minimal elevation changes, creating an expansive landscape that appears almost table-flat to the casual observer. This area represents some of the most level ground found anywhere in California, with the surrounding farmland extending uninterrupted toward distant mountain ranges that form the valley's boundaries.

The immediate vicinity consists of fertile alluvial soils deposited over thousands of years by ancient river systems. These deposits have created a uniform, stable foundation with very gradual slopes that drain toward the San Joaquin River system to the north. The topography is so consistent that large agricultural fields can extend for miles without significant variation in elevation, broken only by occasional irrigation canals, farm roads, and scattered rural structures.

Regional Landscape Context

Looking beyond Kerman's immediate surroundings, the broader Central Valley floor maintains this flat character for dozens of miles in most directions. To the east, the terrain begins a very gradual rise toward the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, though this transition occurs so slowly that it's barely perceptible across the first twenty to thirty miles. The western edge of the valley similarly rises toward the Coast Range, but again with such gentle gradients that the land appears essentially flat across vast distances.

The area experiences very little natural drainage variation, with most water movement controlled by human-engineered irrigation and drainage systems rather than natural topographical features. Small seasonal waterways may create minor undulations in the landscape, but these represent the most significant topographical variations found in the region.

Optimal Areas for Large-Scale Solar Development

The exceptional flatness of the terrain around Kerman makes virtually the entire region highly suitable for large-scale solar photovoltaic installations. The most promising areas lie on the marginal agricultural lands that extend in all directions from the community, particularly those sections that have been retired from active farming or are considered less productive for crop cultivation.

Areas to the south and southwest of Kerman offer particularly attractive opportunities, where large tracts of relatively unused land provide excellent development potential. These zones benefit from the same flat topography while being positioned away from the most intensive agricultural operations. The consistent elevation and minimal grading requirements would significantly reduce construction costs for solar installations.

The lands extending eastward toward the Sierra Nevada foothills also present excellent opportunities, especially where the terrain remains level before beginning its eventual rise toward the mountains. These areas often feature less intensive agricultural use and could accommodate extensive solar arrays without competing with prime farmland.

The uniform topography throughout the region means that solar installations could be oriented optimally without concern for shadowing from hills or ridges. The stable soil conditions and minimal slope variations would allow for standardized mounting systems across large installations, creating economies of scale for major solar developments. The absence of significant topographical obstacles makes this one of the most technically straightforward regions in California for large-scale solar deployment.

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.