Average Weight Of Solar Panels

On average solar panels and the mounting equipment weigh 2 4 lbs per square foot 10 20 kg per square meter which is usually within the acceptable limits of your roof.

Average weight of solar panels.

In a 6 kilowatt solar installation made up of 20 solar panels the panels alone will weigh approximately 800 pounds 20 panels x 40 lbs. Most solar panels last for 50 years have a 25 year warranty and start generating a return on investment after 8. Very often the solar panels are going to be mounted on one side which could have the adverse effect of unbalancing the structure if it is insecure. These solar panels have higher than average efficiencies and also come in at a higher price tag.

The point loads are other considerations to take into account since installers often want to minimize the number of mounting locations for them to. Both the mounting equipment and the solar panels weigh 2 4 lbs per square foot which is equivalent to 10 20 kg per square meter on average. The weight is within the acceptable limits of any roof. Based on our calculations above the system measures around 352 square feet which translates to the average weight of about 2 3 pounds per square foot 800 pounds 352 square feet.

Weight is an important criterion in solar panels as a solar rooftop plant with several panels could exert significant load on the roof. With all of the glass frame and laminating sheets contributing the average weight of a solar panel is 40 50 pounds depending on size. In the case of a 6kw solar installation which constitutes 20 solar panels you are talking about 800 pounds 20 panels by 40 pounds heavy. On average a solar panel weighs about 40 pounds but it could be as light as 33 pounds and as heavy as up to 50 pounds.

Therefore a typical roof with 24 inch rafter spacing and rafters that weight 2 plf would have a dead load of 10 x 24 12 2 22 plf before the solar equipment was added. This depends on the manufacturers and technology used. Based on our calculation above we know that this same system measures at 352 square feet which works out to a weight of 2 3 pounds per square foot 800 pounds 352 sq ft. For a 16 foot rafter this then results in a 352 lbs.

Balancing solar panel weight. However one has to take into account the point loads as installers often want to minimize the number of mounting locations in order to minimize the risk of leaks. Whether the roof be concrete asphalt shingle metal wooden shingle or clay tile they can all handle the weight of a typical solar power system. So if you plan to use high efficiency solar panels keep in mind that your solar panel installation could end up costing you more money than if you used standard efficiency panels.

The average solar panel payback period is 7 to 12 years and solar energy saves 600 to 2 000 per year on electricity costs.