How much do solar panels weigh? A complete guide to solar panels weight

In this article, you’ll find all the information you need about the weights of different types of solar panels.

How much do solar panels weigh?

Solar panels come in different types and sizes, which allows their use for different applications. Bigger solar panels will generally be heavier, but they’ll also produce more power.

In general, a 60 cell residential solar panel weighs between 35lbs and 50 lbs (16-22 kg) and can produce between 300 and 400 watts of power. However, a 36 cell flexible (thin-film) solar panel which can produce around 100 watts, can weigh as low as 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg).

Rigid-type solar panels weigh more per square foot because they are equipped with a metal frame and a glass sheet. Which generally ensures better durability, but also adds to the weight.

For example, while a 100W rigid solar panel weighs around 15 lbs, a 100W flexible solar panel weighs around 4.5 lbs on average.

The following sections dig deeper into the different types of solar panels and their weights.

How much do residential solar panels weigh?

Residential solar panels are generally the biggest of non-commercial solar panels and are the heaviest. They generally consist of 60 or 72 solar cells (or 120-144 half-cut solar cells) and can produce 300 to 400 watts of power.

In general, residential solar panels can weigh as low as 35 lbs (kg) and as high as 50 lbs (in kg). On average, most residential solar panels weigh around 40 lbs. The exact weight of a residential solar panel generally depends on its model and manufacturer.

The following table shows some of the most popular solar panels used in home installations, and how much they weigh:

Solar Panel Model	Rated Power	Weight	Weight per sq. ft
SunPower® X-Series	335-345 Watts	41 lbs (18.6 Kg)	2.33 lbs/ft²
LG NeON® R Series	365 – 380 Watts	38.6 lbs (17.5 Kg)	2.07 lbs/ft²
Q Cells Q.PEAK series	325 – 335 Watts	41.2 lbs (18.7 Kg)	2.27 lbs/ft²
Canadian Solar CS1H series	320 – 345 Watts	42.3 lbs (19.2 kg)	2.33 lbs/ft²
JinkoSolar’s JKM390M-72H	390 Watts	49.6 lbs(22.5 kg)	2.3 lbs/ft²
REC Twin Peak 4 Series	360-375 Watts	44.1 lbs (20.0 kg)	2.24 lbs/ft²

In terms of weight per area, the average weight/area of a residential solar panel is around 2.25 pounds per square foot (24.3lbs/m² or 11Kg/m²).

Please note that the overall weight of a solar energy system also includes the weight of mounting equipment, and in some cases the weight of MLPEs (Mictoinverters or Power optimizers).

How much weight do solar panels add to a roof?

In the U.S., the average home solar installation is rated at 5kW (5000 Watts). A system of this size, using 330W solar panels, would consist of 16 solar panels.

Since residential panels weigh – on average – 40 lbs each, 5kW of solar panels weighs around 700 lbs. Including the weight of the mounting equipment, the overall weight that the system would add to the roof is 750 to 800 pounds.

Please note that the size of this installation is generally not enough to offset 100% of the energy usage of the average American household.

Furthermore, some systems use MLPEs (Module Level Power Electronics) instead of string inverters. Which means additional weight on the roof.

For example, Enphase microinverters weigh about 2.4 lbs (1.08 kg) each. Since MLPEs are installed on each panel, this weight will be added per panel. For example, a 16 solar panel system with microinverters will be 40lbs heavier than it would have been with traditional string inverters.

Power optimizers are slightly lighter than microinverters, for example, Solaredge’s power optimizers weigh about 1.6 (0.7kg) each. 16 of these would add about 25 lbs to the system.

The following table shows the weight of solar installations with different sizes:

System Rating in kilo-Watts	Number of solar panels	Estimated System Weight
3.5 kW	12 panels	500-550 lbs
5 kW	16 panels	750-800 lbs
7 kW	22 panels	950-1000 lbs
8.5 kW	26 panels	1100-1200 lbs
10 kW	30 panels	1300-1400 lbs

Are solar panels too heavy for your roof?

The general answer is no. While residential solar installations weigh about 3 lbs per square foot, the average roof in the U.S. is designed to hold up to 20 lbs per square foot. A professional solar installer will check if your roof structure is adequate before proceeding with the installation.

How much do RV solar panels weigh?

RV solar panels are generally rated at 100-150 watts and are smaller and lighter than residential solar panels. In general, the average rigid solar panel used in RV solar systems is rated at 100 Watts and weighs about 15lbs.

The following table compares the weight of some of the most popular RV solar panels:

Solar Panel Model	Rated Power	Weight	Weight per sq. ft.
Renogy	100 Watts	14.3 lbs (6.5Kg)	2.42 lbs/ft²
HQST	100 Watts	12.1 lbs (5.5 Kg)	2.03 lbs/ft²
Eco-Worthy	100 Watts	19 lbs (8.6 Kg)	3.4 lbs/ft²
WindyNation	100 Watts	18.7 lbs ( 8.5 Kg)	2.55 lbs/ft²

On average, RV solar panels weigh about 2.5 lbs per square foot.

How many solar panels can I fit on my RV?

The amount of weight an RV roof can handle depends on the size, brand, and roof material of the RV. However, in general, the average RV roof can support up to 200 lbs.

The roof of your RV is generally capable of comfortably holding the weight of 8 (100W) solar panels. But if you’re still skeptical, you can always go with flexible solar panels.

Flexible solar panels take up the same area and produce the same amount of power as rigid RV solar panels, but they weigh much less.

However, the size of the system that would fit on your RV roof will mainly depend on the available space on the roof. For example, while a Class A RV can generally fit up to 15 standard 100W RV solar panels, a Class C RV can only fit up to 6.

To read up more on solar panel sizes and how many you can fit on your RV roof, click here. The article in the link contains a table with different RV classifications and an estimate of how big of a system their roofs could fit.

How much do flexible solar panels weigh?

While rigid solar panels are equipped with a metal frame and a glass sheet and use much thicker solar cells, flexible (thin film) solar panels consist of much thinner solar cells attached to a lightweight and flexible substrate.

Compared to rigid solar panels, flexible solar panels are lighter. In general, a 100W flexible solar panel weighs – on average – 4.5 lbs.

The following table compares the weight of different flexible solar panels:

Solar Panel Model	Rated Power	Weight	Weight per sq. ft.
SunPower SPR-E-Flex-110	110 Watts	4.4 lbs (2 Kg)	0.63 lbs/ft²
Renogy 100W Flexible Solar Panel	100 Watts	4.2 lbs (1.9 Kg)	0.58 lbs/ft²
Rich Solar	100 Watts	3.2 lbs (1.45 Kg)	0.53 lbs/ft²
WindyNation	100 Watts	5.5 lbs (2.5 Kg)	0.9 lbs/ft²

In terms of weight per area, flexible solar panels weigh 0.65 lbs per sq ft on average. Which is about a quarter of what a rigid solar panel weighs.

However, the lightweight and flexibility of thin-film solar panels come at a price. Flexible solar panels don’t usually last as long as rigid solar panels and their efficiency decreases relatively fast.

While the warranty on rigid solar panels is usually 25 years, flexible solar panel manufacturers only offer up to 5 years of warranty.

FAQs:

What is the weight of a 300 watt solar panel?

How much does a 72 cell solar panel weight?

72 cell solar panels are can weigh up to 50 lbs. On average, a 72 cell solar panel weighs 45 lbs.