The solar panel has become a reality now. A large number of people around the world are using this renewable mode of energy. But the installation of solar panels involves many technical aspects. A lot of things need to be perfectly done for a successful installation.
Solar panel weight is one of the critical things that you must consider before setting up a solar panel. It might sound like rocket science, but trust me, it isn’t. Here in this article, I’ll discuss the weights of solar panels. You’ll also get to know the weights of various brands’ solar panels.
All the pieces of information will give you a clear idea about this renewable energy source. Besides, this article will come in handy if you consider installing solar panels. So, let’s get this show on the road right away.
Why Is The Weight Of A Solar Panel Important?
Solar panel weight is one of the significant factors you must consider while planning an installation. There are various reasons behind that. The most vital cause behind this is to determine where to install it. Solar panels come in various weights depending on many factors.
The weight changes when the size of the solar panel changes. However, the weight of various brands’ solar panels does not differ much. Anyway, in most cases, solar panels are installed on the rooftop of the building. It can be your home or any commercial building.
You will have to ensure the rooftop and, eventually, the whole building can withstand the weight of the solar panels. Otherwise, it might cause massive damage to your property. That’s why you must know the weight of your solar panel to be sure that your rooftop will support the weight.
How Much Does An Average Solar Panel Weigh?
In General. Solar panels are available in various sizes and watts. The weight of a solar panel changes with the change in the size, number of panels, and brands. But the standard weight of a solar panel is similar across all the brands.
A solar panel’s weight consists of two things, the solar panel and its installation or mounting equipment. Generally, a solar panel weighs around two to four pounds per sq. ft. Most residential solar panels are 65 inches by 39 inches in size. So, the weight of a typical solar panel in a residential building is around 40 pounds.
So, now you can understand how much weight your rooftop has to tolerate for solar panels. For example, if you install two average sizes solar panels, the weight will be around 80 pounds, 160 pounds for 4 solar panels, and it goes on. This is not something your rooftop can’t handle. It can withstand even heavier infrastructure.
60 Cell Solar 250 Watt Solar Panel Weight
We already know that the average weight of a solar panel depends on the sell number and wattage. It also can vary based on different brands. However, I did not find any change in weight on monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels. This means the weight of these two types of solar panels is the same if the cell number is the same.
A standard 60-cell 250-watt solar panel comes in 66 inches by 39 inches or 5.5 ft. by 3.25 ft. in size. The average weight of these solar panels is generally 19 kg or 41.89 pounds, to be exact. It might look huge, but for a solar panel, it isn’t.
However, the same-size solar panels’ weight might differ for various brands. Although it’s not that significant, knowing them will help you understand them better. Here I’ll show you the weight of 60-cell 250-watt solar panels of various well-known brands.
| Solar panel brand | Dimensions | Weight |
| LG | 1632 x 986 x 42 mm | 40 – 47 Pounds |
| Canadian Solar | 1650 X 992 X 40 mm | 40 – 51 Pounds |
| SolarWorld | 1675 x 951 x 31 mm | 40 – 47 Pounds |
| Trina Honey Series | 1650 X 992 X 35 mm | 41 – 50 Pounds |
| Vikram Solar Eldora Neo Series | 1640 X 992 X 40 mm | 40.8 Pounds |
| SunPower | 1640X992X35mm | 33 – 41 Pounds |
72 Cell 300 Watt Solar Panel Weight
We already know that solar panel weight changes with cell number and wattage changes. So, the weight of a 72-cell and 300-watt solar panel will be more than that of 60 cell and 250-watt solar panel. So, installing the solar panel on your rooftop will have to tolerate more weight.
The standard size of a 72-cell and 300-watt solar panel is 39 inches by 77 inches or 3.25 ft. by 6.42 ft. The average weight of this solar panel is 25 kg or 55.12 pounds. However, the weight differs based on various brands. So, the same size solar panel of various brands may come in different weights.
Here are the weights of 72-cell and 300-watt solar panels from various brands:
| Solar panel brand | Dimensions | Weight |
| LG | 1960 x 1000 x 46 mm | 46 – 53 Pound |
| Canadian Solar | 1968 X 992 X 58 mm | 60.63 Pound |
| SolarWorld | 1956 X 992 x 46 mm | 60 Pound |
| Trina Tall Max Series | 1956 X 992 X 40 mm | 50 Pound |
| Vikram Solar Eldora Grand Series | 1955 X 991 X 40 mm | 48.50 Pound |
| Jinko Solar Panels | 1956 X 992 X 40 mm | 58.42 Pound |
You can clearly see from this table above that the sizes of all these brands’ solar panels are almost similar. And there are slight differences between the weights among these solar panels. The weight will increase further if you install a larger cell and watt solar panel. You have to make sure your rooftop can tolerate this amount of load.
How Much Do Solar Panels Weigh Per Square Meter?
A solar panel’s weight is crucial because you must determine whether you can install it on your rooftop. If you currently live in a large apartment building, you’ll have a large rooftop that can accommodate large and heavy infrastructure. But if you are currently living in a single-family home, your rooftop might not be able to hold a lot of weight.
That’s why you must determine your solar panel’s weight and how much space it would consume before starting the project. Generally, typical solar panels weigh around 10 kg to 20 kg or 22 to 44 pounds per square meter. Your rooftop be it an apartment building or single-family home, can take this amount of weight.
However, the weight will increase if you add multiple solar panels. In that case, you’ll have to see whether your rooftop can withstand the total weight of your entire solar installation.
Will My Roof Structure Be Able To Bear The Weight Of Solar Panels?
Now that we know the size and weight of solar panels, we can quickly determine whether our rooftop can bear this weight. I will show you a calculation where I will show in math whether a house roof can bear the weight of solar installation.
Say you will install a 6-kilowatt solar system, so we are talking about 20 solar panels. We know that residential solar panels are 60-cell. So, you will need a 352 sq. ft. area in total. Again we know that each 60-cell solar panels are 40 pounds in weight. So, the total weight will be 20 x 40 = 800 pounds.
Now, if we divide the weight by area, we’ll get the weight per sq. ft. So, 800 pounds ÷ 352 sq. ft. = 2.3 pounds per sq. ft., including the mounting hardware, the total weight will be around 3 pounds. Any new rooftop can bear much more weight than 3 pounds per sq. ft.
But if you have an old rooftop and are unsure whether it can bear the weight, you must consult a roofing company or professional and thoroughly inspect it.
What Are The Lightest Solar Panels?
Generally, a 60-cell and 250-watt solar panel weigh around 40 pounds. But you will find many lightweight solar panels that weigh less than average. Lightweight solar panels are made of silicon wafers.
There are many grid-connected lightweight solar panels available for residential and commercial use. Sunman, Verditek, and eArc are such products. They are robust, glass-free, and durable. Most importantly, they are 70% lighter and 95% thinner than standard solar panels.
Plus, they are also flexible and require less time to install. But it’s apparent that you’ll have to spend more money on these solar panels. Apart from that, small solar panels like 50W and 100W are also smaller and lightweight.
Final Thoughts
A solar panel’s weight depends on its size and brand. But generally, a residential solar panel weighs around 40 pounds which is not too much. So, your rooftop should be able to tolerate it. However, I suggest you hire a professional to thoroughly inspect your rooftop before going for a solar panel installation project.
References
Dametto, J. (2022, July 3). How much do solar panels weigh? From SolarReviews: https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/solar-panel-weight
Matasci, S. (2022, June 1 ). Solar panel size and weight explained: how big are solar panels? From energysage.com: https://news.energysage.com/average-solar-panel-size-weight/
Eng. Matthew Joseph Nandirio is the Founder of walkingsolar.
After graduating from the University of Houston in 2002, matt started working as a Solar Electrical Engineer for several multi-national solar energy companies.
He has a wide range of experiences including solar system requirement analysis, planning, maintaining, debugging and even solar device development through research.
He now shares his 20 years of expertise through his articles on the walkingsolar website.
Further, he is also the author of two books on Solar Technology, “Solar Power for Villages” and “DIY Solar System for Dummies”.