02/19/2026
Spring is almost here and longer daylight hours means more solar production! 😎
Have you ever wondered why we really start to notice increased daylight hours around this time of year in Michigan? It’s all thanks to the Earths 23.5 degree tilt!
More specifically, it’s a combination of Michigan’s geographical location, the Earths tilt and its position during its orbit around the sun.
On December 21st, the Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year for us Michiganders when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted furthest away from the sun. As we continue our orbit, the Earth gradually tilts more toward the sun, ushering in the longest day of the year during the Summer Solstice on June 20th. (Summer can’t come soon enough!)
Due to Michigan’s location in the Northern Hemisphere, we experience very drastic changes in daylight hours between the winter and summer solstices compared to those who live closer to the equator. Near the equator, daylight stays very close to 12 hours year round.
Comparatively, in Michigan, we gain around 6.5 hours of daylight between the winter and summer solstices, with 3.5 of those increased daylight hours occurring from January through the end of March!
If you want to watch a short YouTube video that explains this process in more detail, check out the link below!
Did you know that the Sun’s light shines differently on Earth at different times of the year? In this visualization watch as the Earth orbits the Sun, rotati...
