How much does a solar panel weigh?
One thing on our planet is abundant as an energy source. Yes, it’s nothing but sunlight. It’s almost everywhere, and throughout history, scientists have been involved in many experiments to work on it. In the past, the magnifying glass appeared as an instrument to use sunlight, and solar panels are the modern and unique apparatus for renewable energy. On that account, solar panels vary in different ways; weight is a noteworthy part of the variance.
Solar panels: size, weight, and shape: How big are solar panels?
For different needs, various panels are in the markets to fulfill buyers’ demands. They vary by size, shape, and weight. For instance, panels for household use can’t be the same as those for office or commercial use. Even for the same usage, there are distinctions.
Ordinarily, two reasons for weight variations of solar panels exist.
The number of solar cells.
⦁ Elements of solar cells.
The weight of solar panels differs according to size and shape, as these are not the same in all cases. For instance, Panels for domestic usage are a little less than for commercial consumption. Besides, wattage is also a factor behind the weight differences of panels.
The standard weight for solar panels
Although the weight of a solar panel varies, typically, the average weight of a residential solar panel is 40 pounds. On the contrary, it doesn’t mean that it’s the only measurement. Although there are variations, these differences lay under the common umbrella of the usual midpoint.
Weight of residential solar panels
Ordinarily, residential solar panels are smaller than commercial ones. But the standard features of residential panels also differ. Variations appear according to several factors, and manufacturing companies also matter in this case.
Here are some examples of the weight variations of residential solar panels congruent with different companies
| Manufacturer | Weight (lbs) |
| LG | 38 |
| Sunpower | 33-41 |
| Solar world | 40-47 |
| Hanwha SolarOne | 40-42 |
| Trina | 41-50 |
| Hyundai | 38-41 |
| Canadian Solar | 40-51 |
| Hanwha Q CELLS | 41 |
| Kyocera | 42-44 |
| Axitec | 39-41 |
Weight of commercial solar panels
Commercial solar panels are a little larger than residential ones. The weight of panels depends on what elements are present in panels. Usually, commercial panels are 50-60 pounds on average. Other features like length and width are also different, but depth is primarily similar.
| Manufacturer | Weight (lbs) |
| REC Twinpeak 2S | 48.5 |
| REC Twinpeak 2S Mono | 48.5 |
| LG Solar NeON 2 | 44.75 |
| Canadian Solar MAX POWER | 48.5 |
| Hyundai HiS-RI | 50.5 |
| Panasonic 280Wp MONO PERC | 49.6 |
| Panasonic HIT VBHN330SA17 | 40.8 |
Weight of solar panels by manufacturers
Although there is a typical pattern in weight variations, solar panels can weigh differently by manufacturing companies. It depends on which type of panels they manufacture and what components are in the panels. For instance, monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels can’t be the same weight. A monocrystalline or a polycrystalline panel of two different manufacturers differs in weight.
| Manufacturer | Weight (lbs) |
| JA solar Bifacial Mono PERC | 45.6 |
| Canadian solar HiPM Black | 42.3 |
| Panasonic N330 | 41.9 |
| Hanwha Q-Cell | 41.2 |
| REC TwinPeak 2 | 40.8 |
| Jinko Cheetah | 41.9 |
| LG NeON 2 | 39.68 |
| Trina ALLMAX | 41 |
| SOLaria Power XT | 48 |
| Sunpower X series | 45.5 |
Weight variations according to solar panel power
Power generation is a significant factor that manipulates the weight of solar panels as consumers’ needs are divergent, so manufacturers in the market provide panels that could fulfill different requirements. Hence, variations in line with wattage are crucial for solar panels.
Here are the weight variations of 60 cell 250-watt solar panels:
| Solar Panels | Weight |
| Waaree Solar 250W | 49.6 lbs |
| Vikram Solar Eldora New Series | 40.7 lbs |
| Trina Honey Series | 40.7 lbs |
| Jinko Solar panels 255W | 41.9 lbs |
| Canadian Solar CS6K | 40.1 lbs |
And these are the weight diversities of 72 cell 300-watt solar panels:
| Solar Panels | Weight |
| Waaree Solar Aditya Series | 49.6 lbs |
| Vikram Solar Elora Grand Series | 48.5 lbs |
| Trina Tall Max series | 49.6 lbs |
| Jinko Solar panels | 58.4 lbs |
| Canadian Solar Diamond Series | 60.6 lbs |
Solar panel weight and rooftop
For household energy usage, roofs are excellent as options to set solar panels. They are pretty safe for solar panels and provide the proper electricity supply inside a house. Of course, solar panels affect the roofs of the user. It adds more weight to the tops. For instance, panels with 60 cells usually contain an average weight of 2.3 pounds per square foot. On the other hand, panels having 72 cells includes a little more area; the average weight is almost the same as the 60 cells panels. It’s 2.4 pounds per square foot.
The chart below could be helpful to understand the weight that comes from the panels on the roofs.
| Brad | Weight per square feet |
| LG solar (60 cells) | 2.01 lbs |
| LG solar (72 cells) | 2.08 lbs |
| AXITEC solar (60 cells) | 2.28 lbs |
| AXITEC solar (72 cells) | 2.39 lbs |
| Q- Cells (60 cells) | 2.27 lbs |
| Q- Cells (72 cells) | 2.39 lbs |
Although LG solar panels are comparatively lighter than the other panels, it’s an expensive option for a customer. Except for solar panels, mounting equipment also adds weights to the roofs.
Calculating the weight according to the need
A customer has to figure out the perfect power that he needs for his household or office. For this, he has to know these things:
⦁ His average energy needs
⦁ His current usage of energy in watts.
⦁ The climate and the state of sunlight in a particular area.
⦁ Performance of the solar panels he wants.
⦁ Size, and therefore the weight of solar panels.
For a customer, noticing the past utility bills is easy to calculate the weight of solar panels he needs. If he multiplies his household energy needs by the peak sunlight hours of a specific area and then divides the outcome by the wattage of a panel, he could get the answer- the number of solar panels he needs. And by the numbers, counting out the weight would be more manageable.
Key facts about solar panel weight
⦁ The specific type, wattage, and materials influence the weight of solar panels in numerous ways.
⦁ The thin-film solar panels are lighter than the monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels.
⦁ The average weight of solar panels ranges from 50 to 60 pounds.
⦁ Solar panels’ weight depends on manufacturing elements and technical components, which vary from wattage and type.
⦁ The number of cells is one of the critical factors affecting solar panels’ weight.
FAQs about solar panel weight
What is the average weight of a solar panel?
⦁ Usually, a solar panel is 42 pounds by weight. It varies by manufacturing companies, components of making, wattage, and the number of cells. And the variations cover a range of weight measurements.
Can solar panels be too weighty?
⦁ No, they aren’t too heavy. If a consumer installs at least 20 panels of 40 pounds on his roof, those would be 800 pounds. In general, it’s not a big load for a house, depending on the size and capacity of the house’s roof.
Does the panel weight vary according to the manufacturing companies?
⦁ Yes, solar panel weight differs as per manufacturing companies. For instance, a 60-cell Trina solar panel weighs 40.7 pounds, while a 60-cell Waaree solar panel weighs 49.6 pounds. It’s perceptible that the weight variations have an expected average.
Besides panels, does anything else surge the weight on roofs?
⦁ Yes, the hardware and the mounting device add extra weight to the roofs. But the amount of that weight is not that much. Proper maintenance could make installing panels without any hampering of the top.
Conclusion
Solar panels are an exceptional alternative to the traditional power system in many ways. It’s reasonable and easy to handle. Domestic and commercial solar panel usage is becoming sought after for its green features. Variations in solar panels appear in size, shape, and weight. There are common weight patterns by which consumers could choose the suitable one for their usage.
Summary
Like other green energy options, solar panels provide various options for consumers. They could differ by size, shape, and weight. For users, weight is a climacteric issue to realize for the better usage of a solar panel. For different sizes or numbers of cells, the weight of a single panel diverges as a paramount factor. The same panels of other companies are also different in weight, while there are average measurements for these variances. Weigh depends on the number, elements, and types of panels and power to supply for the users. There have been substantial weight variations in recent years, although some standard spectrums are available as average.