In addition to varying ranges of energy efficiency, different types of solar cells have different financial and ecological costs due to the materials and processes required to create them.
Though these factors don’t greatly influence solar panel size or solar panel weight, they do have repercussions such as their upfront costs and the environmental impact they have during their creation and installation.
When discussing how much does a solar panel weigh, the type of solar cell is a vital factor due to the solar cells’ efficiency and the materials made to use them.
Solar panels made with numerically more cells of low energy efficiency will be larger and heavier than a solar panel that achieves similar energy equivalency with fewer solar cells.
In the United States, the average solar panel dimensions for a 60-cell solar panel are 65 inches long, 39 inches wide, and between 1.5 and 2 inches deep.
The average size of a solar panel for a 72-cell solar panel are 78 inches long, 39 inches wide, and 1.5 and 2 inches deep.10
It must be noted that “average” is the key word. Also, residential owners with space restrictions may have to seek smaller solar panels in response to smaller roofs or less land on which to place ground-mounted solar panels.
Though the United States has a general solar panel size as discussed above, how big are solar panels relies upon the manufacturer and the wattage that a solar panel produces.
A solar panel whose purpose is to charge a single battery will be much smaller than a solar panel that is part of an industrial photovoltaic system.
Because of this, there is no such thing as “size of standard solar panel.”
Deciding on a manufacturer can help in reaching a more useful answer or range to answer for questions like “how much does a solar panel weigh?” and “What is the size of the solar panel being sold?” Manufacturer literature such as websites and instruction manuals can include helpful information such as a table or a solar panel size chart for their solar panels and related equipment.
When discussing solar panel size, one common metric is to discuss the watts or kilowatts that the solar panel will generate.
Though this is a useful metric for calculating when a photovoltaic system will have a positive ROI and how many solar panels a photovoltaic system requires, it can be confusing for potential solar energy system owners trying to determine if they have enough space to have the solar panel installed.
As discussed above, different solar cell types have different energy efficiencies. A solar panel made from multi-junction cells will have a higher energy efficiency than a solar panel made from polycrystalline silicon cells.
Even if there were a typical solar panel size, the size alone would not give meaningful implications on the solar panel’s specific efficiency.
Because of this – as well as other factors such as differences in supporting materials, quality, and solar panel placement – it is possible for two solar panels with the exact same dimensions to produce different wattage, even when they’re both exposed to the exact same amount of direct sunlight. This means that there is no solid link between solar panel size and wattage.
The manufacturer’s documentation includes the solar panel’s wattage. Manufacturers often attach cards or metal placards on the back of the solar panel, and these attachments provide solar panel spec data such as their wattage, their size, and their physical dimensions.
In addition, it’s common for modern photovoltaic systems to have monitoring tools such as smartphone apps that can provide solar energy system owners with the precise wattage of a solar panel. One method of manually calculating a solar panel’s wattage involves using a multimeter to measure its voltage and amps, then multiplying the two values.
A more important question for residence owners to ask is “How many solar panels do I need?” Online calculators and estimates from certified solar companies are among the resources that potential photovoltaic system owners have at their disposal to ensure that their new solar energy system meets or exceeds their energy needs.
The best way to answer how much does a solar panel weigh is to reach out to the manufacturer. The manufacturer’s website should have technical details on their products on their website; when this is not the case, an email or a phone call can lead to an answer.
This is a vital step for residential owners planning on how to install solar panels on roof.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology explains how the benefits of photovoltaic systems can outweigh the costs associated with a photovoltaic system.13 And the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and EnergyStar provide helpful FAQs and guidelines for homeowners considering installing a photovoltaic system on their property.11,12
When contemplating what is the average weight of a solar panel, the manufacturer is the most vital factor. The United States does not have specific standards that require solar panels to have specific weight.
The manufacturer determines how much does a solar panel weigh by choosing the materials used to create the solar panel. How many models of solar panel a manufacturer sell can can also sway the average weight of their solar panels.
Complicating matters further is that solar panels have multiple parts. Though they are easy to maintain, small changes to a single part can lead to significant changes in the solar panel’s weight.
Some of the most common parts of a solar panel include:
Like solar panels, there are no universal standards for pallet sizes. Pallets used to transport solar panels can be metallic or wooden, so two pallets of the same size can have different weights and strengths, which influence how many solar panels can be safely placed on the pallet.
And since two solar panels with the same size and different manufacturers can have different weights, there is no singular answer to how much does a pallet of solar panels weigh.
The weight of a pallet carrying solar panels can be estimated prior to shipping, however.
It is a safe assumption that companies that ship solar panels keep solar panels with the same manufacturer and model together. With that assumption, estimating the weight of a solar-panel-carrying pallet involves multiplying the weight of a single solar panel by the number of solar panels on the pallet, adding the weight of the pallet itself, and adding the weight of damage-preventing devices such as buffers and modules.
USAID provides additional information on solar panel standards in the United States.14
One frustrating aspect of solar energy is that what appear to be simple questions such as “Is solar energy bad for the environment?” and “how much does a solar panel weigh?” do not have simple answers. That is because solar energy systems are complex both in their theory and in their executions.
Complicating matters further is that solar energy is but one part of what must be a multi-front solution to the climate change crisis; neither solar energy nor any other singular action will reduce the global carbon footprint.
And since potential solar energy systems have different energy needs, amounts of available space, financial constraints, and climates, solar panels do not – and should not – have universally established standards and properties.
Readers seeking to understand this should consider providing a singular answer to “How much does a car weigh?” or explaining to shipping companies that a fleet of compact cars can be as effective at shipping as their fleet of trucks.
On the bright side, getting answers to questions such as “how much does a solar panel weigh?” or “What is the solar panel size and wattage of this solar panel?” can be as accessing a website, sending an email, or making a phone call. However, this simplicity requires a potential photovoltaic system to settle on a manufacturer or at least have a shortlist of manufacturers whose products can meet or exceed the potential photovoltaic system owner’s needs.
Solar energy is a topic with no easy answers.
Regardless of how much does a solar panel weigh, it can figuratively carry its environmental and financial weight as long as it’s installed, maintained, and disposed of properly.
If you have any questions on lightweight solar panels. We will give the professional answers to your questions.