The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Purchasing 120 Half Cell Solar Panel Kits Supplier

If you're looking to switch to solar, you may wonder if you have enough space to install the panels. This is a valid concern - solar panels are pretty big! Most home solar panels are about 5.5 feet x 3 feet and weigh roughly 40 pounds each.

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Most of the time, you won't see the size of solar panels expressed in feet. Instead, you'll see it's listed as the number of solar cells within a panel, with the most common solar panel sizes being 60-cell and 72-cell.

Let's take a closer look at the difference between these solar panel sizes and how to pick the right one for your home.

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Key takeaways

• The number of cells within a panel dictates its size - 60-cell and 72-cell panels are the most common solar panel sizes.

• 60-cell solar panels are the standard solar panel size for homes. They are usually 5.5 feet by 3 feet and weigh around 40 pounds.

• 72- cell panels are bigger, measuring around 6.5 feet by 3 feet, weigh about 50 pounds, and are typically considered commercial solar panels.

• An average solar panel system requires between 15 to 19 solar panels and takes up 260 to 340 square feet of space.

• Solar panel efficiency, output, a good warranty, and a trusted brand are more important than focusing on solar panel size.

How to measure solar panel size

Residential solar panels usually hold 60 cells, while larger 72-cell panels are used for commercial installations.

When you look at a solar panel, you&#;ll see it&#;s made up of small squares. Those squares are called solar cells, and they're the part of the panels that turn sunlight into electricity.

You'll see the size of a solar panel described by how many cells it has. 60-cell panels are usually laid out in a 6 by 10 grid and are the most popular option for home solar installations. You&#;ll typically find that 60-cell solar panels have output ratings between 350 and 400 watts and efficiency ratings between 17% and 19%.

72-cell panels, on the other hand, are usually arranged in a 6-cell by 12-cell grid. Because 72-cell panels hold more cells, they are bigger and can produce more solar power, making them popular for commercial installations. 72-cell panel wattage usually sits around 415 to 450 watts, but they can get into the 460-watt range. Their efficiency ratings are typically between 18% and 21%.

Half-cut solar cells. You may see some solar panels that have 120 cells or 144 cells. These are made using half-cut solar cells, which maximize how much of the panels&#; surface can turn sunlight into electricity. Panels with 120 half-cut cells are effectively the same size as 60-cell panels. In contrast, 144-cell panels are similar to 72-cell panels.

Solar panel dimensions and weight

60-cell panels are generally around 65 inches x 39 inches. In comparison, 72-cell panels are a bit larger, at about 80 inches by 40 inches.

Many people want to know the physical size of solar panels, not just how many cells the hold. The average 60-cell solar panel is about 65 inches by 39 inches, or 5.4 feet by 3.25 feet, and weighs around 40 to 50 pounds. The actual dimensions will vary from panel to panel, so we&#;ve listed a few for some of the most popular 60-cell panels on the market:

60-cell panel brand

Dimensions

Weight

LONGi

64.96 x 39.02 x 1.57 inches

40.13 lbs

QCells

65.7 x 39.4 x 1.26 inches

41.45 lbs

Trina

65.3 × 39.1 × 0.236 inches

51.8 lbs

Jinko Solar

65.55  x 39.45 x 1.38 inches

41.9 lbs

72-cell panels are larger, about 80 inches by 40 inches and about 1.5 inches tall. This works out to just about 6.5 feet by 3 feet for 72 cell panels, give or take a few inches. 72-cell modules generally weigh around 50 pounds. Here are the dimensions for 72-cell panels offered by top brands:

Brand

Size 72 cell panel

Weight 72 cell panel

LONGi

82.44x 40.86 x 1.38 inches

51.80 kg

QCells

79.33  x 39.37  x 1.38 inches

52.71 lbs

Trina

77.2 x 39.1 x 1.57 inches

49.6 lbs

Jinko Solar

79.06 x 39.45 x 1.57 inches

49.6 lbs

Are solar panels too heavy for my roof? A solar photovoltaic system can add over 700 pounds to your roof! Most roofs can withstand solar panel weight. But, if you have an old roof, consider replacing it before installing solar. It may also be a good idea to hire a professional for an inspection if you have an older home.

Pros and cons of 60-cell and 72-cell solar panels

Here&#;s a brief breakdown of the pros and cons of each panel size.

Panel

Pros

Cons

60-cell

More compact, can fit on smaller roof segments, harder to damage

Less output per panel (on average), installation requires more panels

72-cell

More output per panel, cheaper cost per watt

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For more information, please visit 120 Half Cell Solar Panel Kits Supplier.

Larger size means it doesn't fit well on smaller roof segments, heavier and harder to install

How many solar panels do you need?

&#;How many solar panels do I need to power my home?&#;; the age-old question with absolutely no easy answer. Based on the U.S.'s average energy consumption and sunlight, a residential solar system needs between 15 and 19 solar panels, which will require around 260 to 340 square feet of roof space.

The actual number of solar panels your specific home needs will depend on various factors like:

1. The amount of energy you use: The more solar panels you have on your roof, the more power they will produce. If your electricity usage is higher than your neighbor, your solar systems will vary in size because you will need more panels to cover your extra energy use. 

2. Sunlight available: If you live in sunny Arizona, your solar panel system can produce more power than panels on a roof in Illinois. 

3. Panel output: Solar panels with higher power ratings, or wattages, can produce more electricity. Using high-wattage panels, you can install fewer panels to meet your energy usage and eliminate your utility bill.

When you work with a solar installer to find the perfect number of panels to provide solar energy for your home.

How big are portable solar panels?

Once solar panels are installed on your roof, you don&#;t have to think much about their size anymore. 

But, with portable off-grid panels, solar panel size is one of the most important things to consider. Your RV might only have a small amount of roof space, or you might want something you can carry around and set up outside your campsite!

Because portable solar panels are made for travel, they tend to be smaller and have about 40 cells as opposed to 60. 200-watt portable panels are around 5 feet by 2 feet. 

You could also opt for flexible solar panels, which also measure about 5 feet by 2 feet. But flexible panels can bend and are much thinner than crystalline panels, so they&#;re easier for storage.

The flexible panel sold by Renogy, a popular portable solar brand, has 72 cells, but they&#;re smaller than the ones used in typical commercial panels. The panel is also substantially lighter, weighing just 10.8 pounds!

Folding solar panel kits are also an option for portable use. Foldable panels can be small enough to fit in your backpack, or large enough to power your RV - there's a wide range of options out there.

Factors that are more important than solar panel size

There are many factors that you should consider before the size of your solar panels, like solar panel efficiency and solar panel warranties. 

Solar panel efficiency

Solar panel efficiency is the percentage of light that strikes the surface of a panel that is converted into usable electricity. Modern solar panels have efficiencies that range from around 17% up to 22.8% in some premium models.

Highly efficient panels take up less space, which will allow you to fit more panels on your roof.

Solar panel warranties

There are two types of warranties that cover solar panels.

The first is the product warranty. This is the period during which you can ask the manufacturer to replace the solar panel should any problem arise. Nowadays, a product warranty of 12 years is standard, but more brands are starting to offer product warranties of 25 years.

The second type of warranty is a performance guarantee. Most mainstream panels have a 25-year production warranty, guaranteeing the panel will produce a certain level of output at every stage of the panel&#;s life. From the date your panels are installed up until the 25-year mark, the minimum guaranteed output of your panels will gradually decrease.

You can expect an output of close to 100% for year one, gradually down to between 80 and 92 percent for year 25. This loss in output is technically known as solar panel degradation. Some solar panel manufacturers, such as Canadian Solar, even offer a 30-year performance warranty on certain panel models.

Find out if solar panels are worth it for your home

How to find the best solar panel size

The easiest way for homeowners to figure out the best solar panel size for their needs is to work with a dedicated solar installer. Solar installers will size your system based on your energy needs, coupled with your available roof space and the sunlight in your area. They can recommend a system size that can fit on your roof and reduce or eliminate your electric bill. 

For portable panels that will be drilled into an RV or need to fit on a boat, measuring where these panels can fit is important. But for a residential solar array, rest assured that your installer will get the right-sized panels for your space and energy requirements. You can find an installer in your area through the SolarReviews savings calculator to get one step closer to adding renewable energy to your roof.

About Wholesale Solar Panels

If you are looking for a place to buy wholesale solar panels, you&#;ve found it. A1SolarStore offers PV modules from all over the world for competitive prices and with fast delivery. Let us tell you a little about the panels that we offer, how we deliver them and what kind of solar panel you might need.

Three types of solar panels

There are three most popular types of solar panels on the market: monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin-film. Monocrystalline or mono panels are the most reliable and efficient type, polycrystalline or poly panels are slightly cheaper, but less productive. Thin-film panels or flexible panels are special in a way that they are very light and bend well.

Monocrystalline panels are easy to distinguish by the black color of the cells. Their efficiency today varies from 16 to 22%, which means that mono solar cells convert into direct current from 16% to 22% of the sunlight that they receive. That&#;s the most popular type of panels &#; in fact, most top manufacturers don&#;t even sell anything else.

Polycrystalline panels are usually blue in color. They were dominant on the market 10-20 years ago, but today they slowly fade away. The reason for this is their low efficiency: 13%-17%. Manufacturing process is cheaper than it is with mono panels, but lower cost doesn&#;t quite justify low production levels. However, some brands still like to experiment with them and include them in their product line &#; for example, Canadian Solar offers both wholesale mono and polycrystalline solar panels.

Thin-film panels are a special thing. They are cheap and very easy to install, because they bend well and their weight is small. However, they are inefficient and their lifespan is considerably shorter than the lifetime of rigid panels. Usually, a flexible panel lasts for 10-15 years. They are quite popular in mobile installations, such as RV and boat systems. Because of their low price, wholesale lightweight solar panels can be a good choice for large projects, especially when the configurations of a surface make it difficult to install rigid modules.

Popular brands of solar panels

While China is an undeniable leader on the solar market, the companies from all over the world offer competitive solar products and we keep the best of them in stock. So what are the most popular and reliable solar panels wholesale suppliers? Let&#;s take a quick look at a few brands.

Panasonic

Panasonic is one the oldest and most well-known brands in electronics. The Japanese company gained a great reputation over the years. Photovoltaic panels from Panasonic are very high quality, packed with innovations and are known for outstanding performance at high temperatures.

Canadian Solar

The Canadian brand was founded by Chinese scientist Dr. Shawn Qu. The panels that the company offers for sale aren&#;t too expensive, but they are quite powerful and perform well in low-light conditions, such as cloudy days, winter and fall.

Trina Solar

This Chinese company competes in the Top-5 world&#;s largest solar brands. The panels from Trina Solar hold several world records for being the most efficient and productive. At the same time, the Chinese brand manages to keep the prices relatively low.

REC

Norwegian brand REC is known primarily for its premium-class residential PV modules. However, it doesn&#;t limit itself to this: the product line is wide enough that you can use wholesale REC solar panels for building a strong commercial system, small or large. REC products are known for high quality, great warranties and innovations.

JA Solar

The Chinese brand aims to be the largest solar brand in the world. JA Solar offers cheap, efficient, high output PV modules for all kinds of applications, but especially solar farms. For instance, JA Solar wholesale 500 Watt solar panels are a great choice for systems of a large scope. They feature simple design, low price and high output.

How much do wholesale solar panels cost?

Solar panels can be very different in terms of cost, and several factors impact the final price, such as wattage, brand, type of panel, warranties, etc. Whatever brand you pick, its solar panel wholesale price is lower than retail, so you end up saving a lot. Notice that at A1SolarSolar when it comes to the wholesale price of a solar panel, we show the cost per watt rather than per pallet or per panel.

Generally, solar market prices can be described like this: Asian panels, especially Chinese ones, are the cheapest ones. The most popular brands here are JA, LONGI, Trina Solar, ZNShine and many others. Asian PV modules are known for high efficiency and often provide very high output, which makes them probably the most popular choice when it comes to wholesale solar panels for sale for systems of a larger scope. However, their warranties for products are lower and quality issues are more frequent in comparison to US and European companies.

US manufacturers offer solar panels for a medium price. American PV modules aren&#;t always the most modern and they sometimes lack efficiency in comparison to the most advanced Chinese models. However, the quality is there and the panels are sturdy and resilient. You could say that US brands are a good middle-of-the-road choice. Among the most popular USA brands of wholesale solar panels we could mention Mission Solar, Canadian Solar and Silfab.

There are also a few brands that offer premium-class PV modules for home installations. These include Panasonic Eco Solutions, LG, SunPower, REC, Solaria and a few others. Generally, it doesn&#;t make much sense to build commercial systems out of them &#; they are too classy and expensive for that. However, you might save quite a lot by opting to go for their wholesale solar roof panels. They often come with the best warranties on the market, have great design and withstand all kinds of harsh weather &#; a great choice for your home.

Commercial and residential systems

Our customers use solar panels for residential, commercial and industrial projects &#; solar energy proves to be a reliable and efficient tool in different circumstances. The panels that are used in home and business systems differ in their output, size and type of installation. Let&#;s go over the basics.

Power output

Generally, homeowners pick panels in the 300 to 370 Watt power range. For example, a 350 watt panel is a very popular choice for home installations. The average size of a residential system in the USA is 5-6 kW, so you usually need around 17-25 modules to power your home appliances with solar.

When it comes to commercial and industrial systems, customers tend to go for wholesale high power solar panels. 500 watt panels or even more powerful ones is a common thing in large solar projects and solar farms. That&#;s only natural: the energy needs of enterprises are huge and there is no reason not to maximize the power output per square foot when you want as much energy as possible.

Size

Panels for home systems usually have 60/120 cells. They are relatively small and it's easier to fit them on a house roof. Their dimensions are about 39 x 66 inches. A 120-cell panel is the same size as 60-cell panels because of the half-cut cell technology. Generally all panels with 300-370 Watts of power have 60/120 cells.

In systems of a larger scope 72/144-cell and 96-cell are used more often. Usually, space constraints are less of a problem with commercial systems, therefore there is no reason not to pick up larger panels with higher power output. 72/144 cell panels are approximately 39 x 77 inches in size.

400 watt wholesale solar panels are an interesting case. They are the middle-of-the-road choice and you can often see them both in residential and commercial installations. They often have 66/132 cells and their dimensions vary from 39 x 71 to 39 x 77 inches.

Installation type

The majority of home solar systems are installed on the roof. It&#;s only natural: homeowners rarely use roof space for anything else. Larger systems are often ground-based, since massive energy production with powerful wholesale solar panels is a priority. Small and medium commercial systems are often installed on a flat roof, which makes a system similar to a ground-based one.

Almost all installations of a large scope (>10-15 kW) are grid-tie, which means that they are connected to the grid. An owner of a grid-tie installation is free to use commercial electricity, but he also can pump his excess solar energy into the grid and gain credits from his electric utility. When systems get large, it becomes too expensive to add batteries for support.

The majority of residential systems are grid-tie as well, but going off-grid is a reasonable option here. It makes sense when power outages are too frequent or there are no power lines available. A solar system can become the only source of energy for a house in a remote location: PV modules power the appliances during the day and at night you rely on energy storage. Just a couple of batteries is usually enough to back up a small size solar system.

Shipping

You might be wondering &#; how exactly are we going to deliver the pallet? A1SolarStore has a distribution network throughout continental US. We work with the top freight carriers XPO, FedEx, ODFL, R&L etc. The panels are shipped with LTL/Freight service. Freight orders are delivered in a manner called &#;curbside delivery&#;, which generally means that the carrier delivers the pallet to the end of your driveway.

Important things to remember:

• You&#;ll have to climb into the truck and unload the pallet and all boxes for the order yourself. A liftgate can be used to take the pallet off the truck and lower it to the ground level. However, this is considered to be extra service &#; you&#;ll have to order and pay for it in advance.
• The carrier is not responsible for delivering the pallet up your driveway or onto your property.

Alongside wholesale solar panels for your home and business, we also ship batteries, inverters, charge controllers and addons with FedEx Ground.

How to carry solar panels

When you receive a shipment or grab your order at our fulfillment center, it&#;s important to remember a few guidelines about how to carry and move solar panels around.

When you carry a panel, try not to apply too much pressure in one spot. Distribute the weight of a module across your shoulder, arm and back. The installation process should be handled by professionals. Generally, they use a mechanical lift to get the panels up on the roof and some workers use a ladder instead.

If you want to grab the panels yourself at one of our fulfillment centers, leave a note "palletized order" in request comments. The pallet is a bit bigger than a panel and it might not fit in the back of every car. If you want to take the panels as they are, prepare some sort of packaging to minimize the risk of cracking the module. You can use foam pads, bubble wrap, and even blankets. Don't put anything on top of the panels!

Why buy from us

So where to buy solar panels wholesale? A1SolarStore is a great choice for several different reasons.

• Our fulfillment centers are located on both east and west coasts of the USA: California, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and Missouri. You can check our map that shows the current availability of products in fulfillment centers.
• We process all orders within 24 hours and ship them within 48 hours. Delivery usually takes between 4-7 business days &#; you get your order within a week.
• All of our suppliers are trusted manufacturers. We sell no counterfeit products.
• We offer competitive prices and there are several payment options available.

All of this makes A1SolarStore the best place to buy solar panels wholesale. Our staff is ready to help you with your purchase and answer all of your questions about delivery, warranties and availability.

Are you interested in learning more about 120 Half Cell Solar Panel Kits Wholesale? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!