A Mini on 12 V around the clock uses about 1,067 Wh a day. December panel needs range from about 362 W in the sunniest states to over 2,000 W in the darkest; July is far easier everywhere. Find your state below.
Pick your state
| Month | Sun h | Mini 24 h | Mini 10 h | Standard 24 h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.59 | 550 | 229 | 1,421 |
| February | 3.54 | 402 | 168 | 1,040 |
| March | 4.73 | 301 | 126 | 778 |
| April | 5.77 | 247 | 103 | 638 |
| May | 6.47 | 220 | 92 | 569 |
| June | 7.22 | 197 | 83 | 510 |
| July | 7 | 204 | 85 | 526 |
| August | 6.31 | 226 | 94 | 583 |
| September | 5.37 | 265 | 111 | 685 |
| October | 3.98 | 358 | 149 | 925 |
| November | 2.87 | 496 | 207 | 1,282 |
| December | 2.29 | 622 | 259 | 1,607 |
Open this state in the calculator, with your battery →
All states: December vs July
Mini always on (24 h, 40 W Official spec: From a Starlink specification sheet or help article. Checked Oct 5, 2026, 12 V). Standard always on (100 W Official spec: From a Starlink specification sheet or help article. Checked Oct 5, 2026, AC via inverter).
| State (city) | Dec sun h | Mini Dec W | Mini Jul W | Standard Dec W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (Birmingham) | 2.3 | 619 | 238 | 1,600 |
| Alaska (Anchorage) | 0.14 | over 2,000 | 299 | over 2,000 |
| Arizona (Phoenix) | 3.08 | 462 | 190 | 1,195 |
| Arkansas (Little Rock) | 2.28 | 624 | 226 | 1,614 |
| California (Los Angeles) | 2.86 | 498 | 180 | 1,287 |
| Colorado (Denver) | 2.29 | 622 | 204 | 1,607 |
| Connecticut (Hartford) | 1.54 | 924 | 237 | over 2,000 |
| Delaware (Wilmington) | 1.75 | 813 | 231 | over 2,000 |
| Florida (Orlando) | 3.12 | 456 | 250 | 1,179 |
| Georgia (Atlanta) | 2.37 | 601 | 237 | 1,552 |
| Hawaii (Honolulu) | 3.93 | 362 | 205 | 936 |
| Idaho (Boise) | 1.39 | 1,024 | 184 | over 2,000 |
| Illinois (Chicago) | 1.41 | 1,009 | 231 | over 2,000 |
| Indiana (Indianapolis) | 1.56 | 912 | 234 | over 2,000 |
| Iowa (Des Moines) | 1.67 | 852 | 223 | over 2,000 |
| Kansas (Wichita) | 2.23 | 638 | 210 | 1,650 |
| Kentucky (Louisville) | 1.67 | 852 | 236 | over 2,000 |
| Louisiana (New Orleans) | 2.74 | 520 | 253 | 1,343 |
| Maine (Portland) | 1.37 | 1,039 | 242 | over 2,000 |
| Maryland (Baltimore) | 1.75 | 813 | 231 | over 2,000 |
| Massachusetts (Boston) | 1.49 | 955 | 239 | over 2,000 |
| Michigan (Detroit) | 1.24 | 1,147 | 229 | over 2,000 |
| Minnesota (Minneapolis) | 1.31 | 1,086 | 223 | over 2,000 |
| Mississippi (Jackson) | 2.43 | 586 | 229 | 1,514 |
| Missouri (Kansas City) | 1.9 | 749 | 221 | 1,936 |
| Montana (Billings) | 1.39 | 1,024 | 201 | over 2,000 |
| Nebraska (Omaha) | 1.7 | 837 | 218 | over 2,000 |
| Nevada (Las Vegas) | 2.66 | 535 | 189 | 1,383 |
| New Hampshire (Manchester) | 1.49 | 955 | 239 | over 2,000 |
| New Jersey (Newark) | 1.62 | 878 | 236 | over 2,000 |
| New Mexico (Albuquerque) | 2.83 | 503 | 198 | 1,300 |
| New York (New York City) | 1.62 | 878 | 236 | over 2,000 |
| North Carolina (Charlotte) | 2.29 | 622 | 233 | 1,607 |
| North Dakota (Fargo) | 1.24 | 1,147 | 220 | over 2,000 |
| Ohio (Columbus) | 1.48 | 961 | 241 | over 2,000 |
| Oklahoma (Oklahoma City) | 2.4 | 593 | 207 | 1,533 |
| Oregon (Portland) | 0.98 | 1,452 | 209 | over 2,000 |
| Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) | 1.75 | 813 | 231 | over 2,000 |
| Rhode Island (Providence) | 1.55 | 918 | 231 | over 2,000 |
| South Carolina (Columbia) | 2.4 | 593 | 234 | 1,533 |
| South Dakota (Sioux Falls) | 1.61 | 884 | 214 | over 2,000 |
| Tennessee (Nashville) | 1.92 | 741 | 234 | 1,916 |
| Texas (Houston) | 2.64 | 539 | 233 | 1,394 |
| Utah (Salt Lake City) | 1.86 | 765 | 189 | 1,978 |
| Vermont (Burlington) | 1.1 | 1,293 | 250 | over 2,000 |
| Virginia (Richmond) | 2.07 | 688 | 233 | 1,777 |
| Washington (Seattle) | 0.85 | 1,674 | 225 | over 2,000 |
| West Virginia (Charleston) | 1.59 | 895 | 244 | over 2,000 |
| Wisconsin (Milwaukee) | 1.16 | 1,227 | 233 | over 2,000 |
| Wyoming (Cheyenne) | 1.98 | 719 | 206 | 1,858 |
Download the sun-hour data (CSV)
How it’s worked out
- Watt-hours per day from the battery: Mini 24 h ≈ 1,067 Wh, Mini 10 h ≈ 444 Wh, Standard 24 h ≈ 2,759 Wh.
- Panel watts = Wh per day ÷ (sun hours × 0.75) Planning assumption: Our stated assumption, used until bench results replace it. “Over 2,000” means solar alone isn’t a practical plan that month.
- Sun hours: NASA POWER POWER Climatology API v2.10.0, parameter ALLSKY_SFC_SW_DWN (all-sky surface shortwave downward irradiance on a horizontal surface), 20-year Meteorological and Solar Monthly & Annual Climatologies (January 2001 - December 2020). Flat (horizontal) panel at one reference city per state, retrieved Oct 5, 2026. Tilting panels toward the winter sun raises December output noticeably.
Questions people ask
Which states are hardest for Starlink solar?
Those with the fewest December sun hours in the NASA data: Alaska, Washington, Oregon. In the worst cases solar alone can’t carry a 24/7 dish in December.
Which states are easiest?
The most December sun in this data: Hawaii, Florida, Arizona.
Why only one city per state?
Sun hours vary within a state (mountains, coast, cloud). One reference city per state keeps the table honest about what it is; for your exact spot, NASA POWER’s data viewer gives the numbers for any coordinates.
Sources
- Starlink Mini Specifications (PDF) · checked Oct 5, 2026
- Standard 4 X Specifications (PDF) · checked Oct 5, 2026