A solar panel is just a bunch of individual solar cells wired together in series. The more cells in a panel, the larger both its size and wattage will be.
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Though it’s possible to make a solar panel composed of as many cells as you like, practically speaking, if you’re in the market for a solar system, you’ll be encountering just two options.
60-cell panels, which will fall between 260-330 watts
72-cell panels, which will fall between 360-400 watts
Though a lot of folks may naturally assume that bigger is better, when it comes to solar installations, the facts are a bit more complicated.
It’s the total wattage of your entire system that matters, not the output of each individual panel. And, while it’s true that you can build a system of any given wattage using fewer larger panels than smaller ones, there are a lot of reasons that 60-cell panels make more economic sense for residential and even most commercial solar projects.
Indeed, you may be surprised to learn that, while 72-cell panels have been around since the industry’s inception, 60-cell panels are a fairly recent market innovation.
And the change in the solar industry that suddenly created a demand for the smaller size—not coincidentally—was also instrumental in giving residential and smaller commercial solar projects the ability to provide electricity at a cheaper rate than utility companies.
The biggest problem solar energy has always faced is that the sun doesn’t rise and set in accordance with our energy needs. Homeowners use the most electricity in the evening, at which point the sun is either too low in the sky to produce any appreciable power or not shining at all.
Even after everyone’s sound asleep when there’s no sunlight at all, some energy is required to keep refrigerators and other electrical devices running.
The afternoon, when the sun shines at its brightest, on the other hand, is exactly when people tend to be most away from home and, hence, use the least electricity.
The upshot is that, in order for solar power to be more than just a costly novelty, there has to be a way to store the energy generated at peak-production hours for later use.
In the early days of the solar industry, batteries were the only solution. As a result, everything the industry did in those days revolved around them.
Now the key to understanding early panel sizes is that, for any given battery voltage, there will be an optimal higher voltage for the system you’re using to charge. If your charging system is below optimal voltage, you’ll lose efficiency, and if it's higher, you won’t gain any.
Each (monocrystalline) solar cell produces about 0.55 volts, so a 72-cell panel will produce 39.6 volts. And that turns out to be ideal for charging a 24-volt battery. Similarly, a 36-cell panel would produce 19.8 volts, which is perfect if you’ve got a 12-volt battery to charge it.
Since batteries can be either 12 or 24-volt, both 36 and 72-cell panels were in demand from the very beginning. Indeed, 36 and 72-cell panels were even called 12-volt optimal and 24-volt optimal, respectively—reflecting the essential link between panels and battery size.
The upshot is that, because solar-storage batteries didn’t come in any size between 12 and 24-volt, 60-cell panels made no commercial sense in the early days. On the one hand, they’d produced less voltage than you’d want for a 24-volt battery. But, on the other, if you had a 12-volt battery, they’d cost more than a 36-cell panel without providing any commensurate benefits.
But all of that changed when solar installations started connecting to the grid, so that any excess energy produced during the day could be harnessed by your local utility company.
Many states, including Pennsylvania, adopted net metering laws that require utility companies to reimburse homeowners at market price for any solar energy sent back into the grid.
Net metering, in effect, meant that surplus solar energy now could be stored for later use without the need for a battery and, hence, eliminated the battery-imposed limitations on panel size.
72-cell panels are still standard for large-scale installations. The larger size means that fewer panels need to be used. And, because large-scale projects use heavy machinery to get everything where it needs to go, there’s no significant increase in labor costs.
But the size of 72-cell panels turns out to create huge and costly headaches for residential installations. And likewise for the majority of commercial ones, which aren’t that much bigger.
60-cell panels are smaller and lighter, making them easier to install and resulting in a marked decrease in labor costs.
60-cell panels are typically around 66” x 40” and weigh around 40 pounds. Whereas 72-cell panels tend to be around the same width but an extra foot in length. They weigh in at around 48 pounds.
These differences may not sound like much. But if you’re employing a crew to carry and position panels, they become enormous.
A 72-cell panel will likely be taller than your biggest crew member So, lugging them up to a roof which may be two or more stories up is going to be labor intensive and, hence, will significantly increase installation costs.
60-cell panels provide greater design flexibility.
One great challenge in designing a solar installation is often maximizing the amount of power produced so that it meets all of the homeowner’s energy needs.
Roof space is always limited, so the design flexibility provided by smaller 60-cell panels can be a huge advantage. Even more so given that many states and localities have fire access codes that put major additional constraints on panel placement.
Using 60 as opposed to 72-cell panels frequently allows for the installation of one or more extra rows, translating into a larger system able to meet all the homeowner’s energy needs.
Transport
To be honest, trucking companies aren’t even terribly fond of the non-standard sized pallets required for the 60-cell panels which are the solar industry norm. But 72-cell panels create even bigger shipping headaches
A 78” long pallet is too big to be turned inside a freight truck. And anyone who’s ever worked a forklift will tell you that balancing a 78” pallet along its length is going to be inordinately challenging.
And there you have it.
Once panel size was no longer limited by the need to charge a battery, other sizes beside 36 and 72 cells became commercially feasible.
The size of each individual panel is irrelevant to meeting your energy needs. All that matters is the total size of your overall system.
As a result, because they lower labor and transportation costs as well as offering better design flexibility, 60-cell panels quickly became the industry standard for residential and all but the largest commercial solar installations.
Solar energy is key to the world’s transition to renewable energy sources. Solar panels, which capture sunlight and convert it into electricity, lie at the center of this technology. People may identify solar panels by their shiny rectangular shapes, but fewer know about the critical internal structure that enables functionality — specifically, how many solar cells there are in each panel.
Knowing the count of cells in a solar panel, how they fit together, and why various panels show different counts of cells is key for anyone thinking about solar energy, whether for home, business, or factory use. This piece takes a deep dive into solar panel cells, their setups, and how they affect performance.
What Are Solar Cells?
Solar cells are known as photovoltaic (PV) cells which form the basic components of solar panels. These cells are small; each is a semiconductor device responsible for the conversion of sunlight into electricity using the photovoltaic effect. Sunlight striking these cells serves to excite electrons thereby creating an electric current.
One solar cell generates very small power — usually about 0.5 volts. To generate adequate voltage and current for practical applications, these cells are joined in series and parallel arrangements to form a solar panel.
Standard Numbers of Solar Cells in Panels
Most solar panels have a standard number of cells, which directly influences their size, voltage output, and power capacity. Here are the most common configurations:
Configuration
Number of Cells
Typical Use
Voltage Output (Vmp)
Panel Size
32-Cell
32
Small off-grid applications
~16V
Very compact
36-Cell
36
RVs, boats, small off-grid setups
~18V
Compact
60-Cell
60
Residential rooftops
~30-32V
Standard size
72-Cell
72
Commercial and utility-scale
~36-38V
Larger than residential
96-Cell
96
High-efficiency premium panels
~50V
Variable, denser layout
Relationship Between Solar Panel Wattage and Number of Cells
The number of solar cells in a panel is closely linked to its total wattage output. Here's a helpful table showing typical wattage ranges and their corresponding cell counts:
Wattage Range
Typical Number of Cells
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Common Applications
50W - 120W
32 - 36 cells
Portable systems, RVs, boats, small off-grid setups
150W - 200W
36 cells
Off-grid cabins, backup systems
250W - 350W
60 cells
Residential rooftops
370W - 450W
72 cells
Commercial rooftops, utility-scale projects
480W - 600W
144 half-cut cells
Large-scale solar farms, high-efficiency systems
600W - 700W
156 - 168 half-cut cells
Ultra-large commercial and industrial systems
700W+
180+ half-cut or bifacial cells
Future high-power modules, bifacial applications
Note:
Half-cut cell panels (e.g., 144, 156 cells) are becoming the new norm in high-efficiency and large-format panels.
Higher wattage doesn't just mean more cells — it also involves better materials, larger cell sizes (such as M10, G12), and advanced panel designs.
36-Cell Solar Panels
36-cell panels are the traditional standard for smaller-scale solar projects, especially in off-grid environments like boats, RVs, or cabins. They provide around 18 volts at peak power, which is ideal for charging 12V battery systems (with the help of a charge controller).
These panels are relatively small and light, making them easy to transport and install. However, their lower power output (typically between 100 and 150 watts per panel) makes them less suitable for large residential or commercial installations.
60-Cell Solar Panels
60-cell panels are the most common choice for residential solar installations today.
A 60-cell panel is usually arranged in a 6x10 grid (6 cells across, 10 cells down). These panels typically produce between 300 to 400 watts of power, depending on the efficiency of the solar cells used.
Advantages:
Widely available and affordable
Good balance between size, weight, and power output
Easier installation on residential roofs
Because of their standardization, 60-cell panels fit well within the dimensions and weight limits preferred for homes.
72-Cell Solar Panels
72-cell panels are essentially 60-cell panels with an extra row of cells (6x12 configuration). This extra row allows them to produce more voltage and more power — usually between 350 to 450 watts.
These panels are commonly used in larger installations, such as:
Commercial rooftops
Solar farms
Utility-scale projects
Due to their larger size and weight, they can be more challenging to handle during installation, but they reduce the total number of panels needed for a given power output, which can lower installation costs.
96-Cell Solar Panels
96-cell panels are a more recent innovation, often used in high-efficiency applications where space is limited but maximum power is needed. These panels often use high-end materials and technologies (such as Panasonic’s HIT cells).
Their higher voltage output can be advantageous in specialized systems but also requires compatible inverters and careful system design.
Pros:
High power density
Excellent for small roofs with high energy demands
Cons:
More expensive
Less standardized
Half-Cut Cells: A Modern Innovation
In addition to traditional full-cell panels, many modern panels use half-cut cells. These panels literally cut each solar cell in half, doubling the number of cells.
For example:
A typical 60-cell panel becomes a 120 half-cell panel
A 72-cell panel becomes a 144 half-cell panel
Benefits of half-cut cells:
Higher efficiency: Reduced resistive losses.
Better shade tolerance: Partial shading affects less of the panel.
Improved durability: Less mechanical stress on each cell.
Even though the number of cells doubles, the panel size remains roughly the same because the cells are physically smaller.
Factors That Influence the Number of Cells
1. Voltage and System Compatibility.
2. Available Space
3. Weight and Installation
4. Efficiency Needs High cell count panels (96-cell or half-cell models for most cases) provide greater efficiency and power per unit area, which is critical in constrained spaces.
Choosing the Right Panel: A Practical Guide
If you're considering a solar energy system, here's a simple guide to help you choose:
For RVs, boats, or tiny off-grid systems: Choose 32-cell panels.
For most residential homes: 60-cell panels (or 120 half-cell panels) are ideal.
For large-scale installations (commercial, utility farms): 72-cell or 144 half-cell panels offer better economics.
For maximum efficiency in limited space: 96-cell panels or advanced half-cut panels are the way to go.
Conclusion
The number of cells in a solar panel sits well above a technical detail — it fundamentally shapes off the panel’s size, voltage, power output, and application. Whether it be a compact 36-cell panel for a remote cabin or powerful 144 half-cell panels for a solar farm, the configuration has to match the project’s needs.
Knowing what cell numbers and shapes mean helps you make wise choices, get the best from your system, and understand better the great tech that drives the future with sun rays.
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