Solar panels for homes can range in size from a low of 240 watts to a high around 320 watts. Most typically fall around 265 watts. With 1,000 watts equal to 1 kW, a 7kW installation would need 27 ‘standard’ panels (7000 watts divided by 265 watts = 26.4, rounded up to 27 panels).
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.
Considering that each panel occupies approximately 17 sqft, a 7kW solar system with 23 panels would have a total footprint of 397 sqft. It’s important to account for the available space on your rooftop or property when planning the installation. How Many kWh Does a 7kW Solar System Produce? (Load Per Day)
The size of a solar panel is measured in watts, which indicates the amount of power it can generate. The most common solar panel sizes for residential installations are between 250W and 400W, while larger commercial installations may use panels up to 500W or more.
Commercial solar panels tend to be about a foot longer than residential solar panels at 6.5 feet by 3 feet and can weigh 50 pounds or more. The exact size of residential and commercial solar panels depends on the manufacturer and their specifications.
72-cell solar panels weigh around 61.73 pounds. As you may recall, these larger panels usually provide 350 to 400 watts. The weight of a solar panel per unit is an important consideration when deciding which size is best for your home, which we will discuss further in a later section.