Traditional solar panels have two common configurations: 60 solar cells and 72 solar cells. The corresponding dimensions are:
Photovoltaic module composed of 60 solar cells: 1.635 square meters (1.65 meters x 0.991 meters)
Photovoltaic module composed of 72 solar cells: 1.938 square meters (1.956 meters x 0.991 meters)
Note: There are larger and more efficient photovoltaic modules on the market now. This article only takes a photovoltaic module composed of 60 solar cells and a photovoltaic module composed of 72 solar cells as examples.
One of the first questions people ask when choosing to install photovoltaic systems is: “Where do I build my system?” Solar panels occupy a considerable amount of space, and not every roof has enough space to accommodate them.
This article will cover standard solar panel sizes and explain how to determine how many solar panels your photovoltaic system requires. Thus, the photovoltaic capacity can be calculated to estimate the annual power generation and revenue.
Solar cells are the smallest unit of photoelectric conversion, commonly used in sizes of 156mm x 156mm. The working voltage of solar cells is about 0.5V and generally cannot be used alone. After packaging solar cells in series and parallel, they become photovoltaic modules.
A single solar cell is a 156mm x 156mm square. The panel formed by 60 solar cells consists of 6 × 10 grid layout. The panel formed by 72 solar cells consists of 6 × The grid layout of 12 is about 3-4 centimeters high.
Note: The mainstream solar cell sizes on the market now include 166, 182, 210, and other specifications.
How many solar panels can I fit on my roof?
At present, high-power solar panels, such as 490W, 535W, 550W, and other models, are generally used in the household photovoltaic market.
The use of high-power solar panels in limited rooftop space has improved utilization efficiency and increased power generation revenue per unit area.
The available area of the roof determines the maximum capacity of a photovoltaic power plant that you can install. Based on the current power of photovoltaic modules, installing 1KW would take approximately 8 square meters;
If you want to install a 15KW photovoltaic power plant, it will require approximately 100 square meters of roof area.
If we install a 15KW household photovoltaic power plant, the number of high-power solar panels and low-power solar panels used:
15000W/490W ≈ 30 pieces
15000W/330W ≈ 45 pieces
Below, we will compare low-power solar panels (330W) with high-power solar panels (490W) to understand the rooftop space occupied by photovoltaic arrays:
330W solar panel size: 1855 * 1092 * 40mm
490W solar panel size: 2187 * 1102 * 35mm
Overall, a standard household solar system will occupy 100-200 square meters of roof space. The system can be installed on your roof or on a floor bracket located somewhere in your property (such as on a bungalow or a car shed). The exact size will depend on the wattage of the solar panel and the layout of the array.
What is the size of a portable/RV solar panel?
If you purchase a boat or RV in the future, choosing the appropriate solar panel will greatly extend your leisure time. Although some standard size solar panels are installed on individual vehicles or ships, most vehicles and ships have no space to install them, so smaller solar panels are needed to fit. Typically, these small solar panels have a standard 12 volt or 24 volt output.
What is the weight of a solar panel?
In addition to the size of solar panels, people often ask us about the weight of solar panels. Solar panels can be heavy, and lifting them onto the roof can be a challenge, especially when working alone. Based on experience, the weight of solar panels ranges from 18 to 35 KG.
