How much do solar panels weigh?

When planning a solar system, the weight of solar panels is of paramount importance, especially if your house is not a new one. You don’t want your thoroughly planned solar system to collapse along with the roof, do you? Let’s learn how much solar panels weigh.

Residential solar panels

Residential solar panels provide from 350W to 450W of power output. The weight of one solar panel is about 40-50 pounds per panel or 5-6 pounds per square foot. 

Out of stock

REC 360W Solar Panel 120 Cell REC360TP4 Clearance

• Price per Watt$0
• Rated Power Output 360 W
• Voltage (VOC)40.6V
• Number of cells120
• Cell TypeMonocrystalline

Delivery on Dec 31 – Jan 06

REC 360W 120-cell solar panel is a shining example of a standard home panel. Its weight is 44.09 pounds. The weight of a 4-kilowatt system consisting of 11 panels will be 485 pounds.

Commercial panels

Panels over 450W are considered commercial but are sometimes used for homes as well. They are bigger than residential and heavier – about 50-60 pounds. Because the module itself is larger, the solar panel’s weight per square foot remains the same – 5-6 pounds. 

Out of stock

Silfab 490W Solar Panel 156 Cell SIL-490-HN

• Price per Watt$0.65
• Rated Power Output 490 W
• Voltage (VOC)54.05V
• Number of cells156
• Cell TypeMonocrystalline

Delivery on Dec 31 – Jan 06

Silfab 490W 156-cell module is a typical representative of this group. The solar panel’s weight is 56.9 pounds. Since this panel is more powerful, a 4-kilowatt system will include only eight panels and will be lighter – 455 pounds.

Bifacial solar panels

Bifacial solar panels are the same size and weight as monofacial panels, but give up to 25% more power because they can capture sunlight from both the front and back sides. They are more common in ground-mounted industrial installations because it’s hard to make use of their bifacial nature on the roof.  

Out of stock

Trina 385W Solar Panel 120 Cell TSM-385-DE09C.07 Bifacial Clearance

• Price per Watt$0
• Rated Power Output 385 W
• Voltage (VOC)40.6V
• Number of cells120
• Cell TypeMonocrystalline

Delivery on Dec 31 – Jan 06

An example of a bifacial panel application at home would be a solar pergola. Pergola is a weak structure and you have to pay attention to the weight of a panel for it. For example, the weight of a 120-cell Trina 385W is 46.3 pounds – the weight of a standard residential panel.

Consider replacing your roof before going solar

If you are not confident in the load-bearing capacity of your roof, better not test. Call an engineer to inspect your roof and give you recommendations for installing solar panels. The roof may need replacing or strengthening. If this is not an option, the solar system can also be installed on the ground, but it has some drawbacks: the panels get dirty faster and take up a lot of space.

Think about the installation process. The best solution is to invite professional installers. If you want to take a DIY attempt, ask someone to help you and prepare a ladder and lifting equipment to carefully drag the panel onto the roof. But before, check out our articles on How to transport, ship, carry and move solar panels around and How to install solar panels on a roof.

Julia Zaraeva

Author

Years of experience in translation and a love of nature help Julia find the right words to encourage going solar. She joined the team in 2023 and is happy to make her contribution to a greener future.

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