This article compares 60-cell and 72-cell solar panels, highlighting their differences and best uses. The key distinction between them is size, with 72-cell panels being larger due to having 12 more solar cells. 60-cell panels are typically used in residential and mobile applications, while 72-cell panels are common in utility-scale projects.
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While 72-cell panels are generally rated at higher wattages, the cost per watt is crucial in determining which panel is more cost-efficient. Factors like installation costs also play a role, with 72-cell panels often being preferred for large-scale installations due to requiring less racking material and fewer electrical connections. When choosing between the two, consider your space constraints and budget. 60-cell panels are ideal for limited spaces, while 72-cell panels may be more cost-efficient in certain scenarios. Ultimately, the goal is to maximize your budget and solar power potential.
The two most common types of solar panels on the market today are 60-cell and 72-cell. Today, we explain the differences between these two types of solar panels and which one is best for your solar installation.
When it comes down to it, the only real key difference between 60-cell and 72-cell solar panels is size. Solar panels use individual solar cells that you can see as the squares that make up the panel. Obviously, 72-cell solar panels have 12 more solar cells than 60-cell solar panels.
The extra dozen solar cells cause 72-cell solar panels to be larger than the 60-cell solar panels. According to Medium.com, here are the average sizes of these two types of solar panels:
60-cell solar panels are 1.65m (5.41 feet) tall and weigh about 20kg (44.90 lbs).
72-cell solar panels are 1.95m (6.40 feet) tall and weigh about 28kg (61.73 lbs).
For sizing reasons alone, 60-cell solar panels are often used in residential and mobile applications, whereas 72-solar panels are commonplace in utility-scale projects where limited space is not an issue.
It is logical to think that more solar cells imply more solar power, but this is not always the case. Although 72-cell solar panels are generally rated at higher wattages, in some instances, 60-cell solar panels may have more output capacity than 72-cell solar panels. The most important factor in figuring out which solar panel is best for the price is determining the cost per watt.
Let's take a look at two different solar panels. The first is a 300W 60-cell solar panel that costs $200. The second is a 350W 72-cell solar panel that costs $225. The cost per watt of each solar panel respectively would be $0.66 and $0.64. Therefore, if you have room for either type of panel, in this case, the 72-cell solar panel would be more cost-efficient. Although the difference may seem insignificant, accounting for multiple panels over many years, maximizing your cost per watt will lead to the largest financial savings.
In large-scale commercial or utility applications, installers tend to use 72-cell solar panels to save money on installation costs because 72-cell solar panels require less racking material, fewer electrical connections, and fewer security clamps than 60-cell solar panels. Of course, if you boiled these costs down to a residential solar install, there would still be some savings incurred, but at a lower rate.
Your solar panels also influence the rest of your system. If you plan to use micro-inverters instead of one large solar inverter, you will need to make sure that each is appropriately sized for your solar panels, especially when using 72-cell solar panels. Conversely, if you are powering a battery bank, one 60-cell solar panel alone may not provide enough voltage to charge the battery.
When designing your solar energy system, either 60-cell or 72-cell solar panels will be best for your needs. If you are strapped for space for your system, for example, on a residential roof, van, or an RV, choosing 60-cell solar panels will maximize the number of panels you can install. If you have space, weigh your options and choose the panel that is most efficient and affordable. After all, when installing solar, the goal is always to maximize your budget and solar power potential!
We hope we provided some insight into choosing your solar panels. You can compare your options by browsing our selection of solar panels or contact us to discuss your project with a solar power expert.
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72-cell is about a foot taller, and they cost a bit less to mount in large-scale applications. However, both 60-cell and 72-cell solar modules use the same cell technology, and they work out to the same price from a cost-per-watt perspective. Either option can be used in residential or commercial installs ' the ideal choice depends on your array layout and space constraints where you will mount your system.
But when it comes down to choosing your solar modules, the number of cells included in the panel isn't the most important factor. Cost, aesthetics, warranty, efficiency, and durability should all be taken into account when selecting the right PV panels. In this article, we'll discuss some differences between 60-cell solar panels and 72-cell solar panels as well as their pros and cons.
Solar modules are made from blocks of silicon ingots that are cut into wafers. Those are the squares that you see that make up the modules.
Each solar cell (monocrystalline) produces about 0.55 volt. Multiple cells are wired in series, plus to minus, to make a solar module. Wiring the cells in series increases the PV panel voltage to a usable level. The more cells that are wired in series, the higher the voltage.
For example, if 36 cells are wired in series, you get an output of about 19.8 volts. Remember that solar first got its start in the battery-based off-grid world, where PV panels were built to charge battery banks. The 36-cell solar panel that output 19.8V is perfect for charging a 12-volt battery bank. Since you need a higher voltage to charge a battery, a 36-cell solar panel is called a 12-volt nominal panel, it's designed to charge a 12-volt battery.
Likewise, a solar panel with twice as many cells, 72 cells, outputs about 39.6 volts. And it's great for charging a 24-volt battery bank. So it's called a 24-volt nominal solar panel.
If you have a 48-volt battery bank, since there are few companies produce 48-volt solar panels, in that case, you need wire multiple PV panels together in series, either 4 12V nominal panels or 2 24V nominal panels, which will efficiently charge a 48V battery bank even in very hot weather when the voltage of PV panels drops low.
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So all was well and good with figuring out what nominal voltage solar modules to use. Just make them match the nominal voltage of the batteries. But along came two different technologies that added an interesting twist to the next.
The first was grid-tied solar with a grid-tie inverter, you could now convert the DC voltage from the PV panels directly into AC to power your properties, no batteries required. So the restriction of 12V or 24V and 48V went away. This allows solar panel manufacturers to use however many cells they want to.
Today for solar modules up to above 320 watts, the industry settled on 60 cells. Using terminology from the battery world, that's a 20V nominal panel. With an Open Circuit Voltage or Voc of around 41 volts. Grid-tied solar systems are able to string up to 20 pieces (/41/1.21=20) of 60-cell solar panels in series and stay within the electrical code restriction of staying under VDC, even when considering the cold temperature. If they were using 24V 72-cell solar panels, they would be limited to only 16 pieces (/49.5/1.21=16) in series in cold environments.
The second change was still in the battery based world, with solar charge controllers that are used to manage to put the power from the PV panels into the batteries. Early on, the pulse width modulated (PWM) charge controllers had to match the nominal voltage between the photovoltaic panels and the battery bank. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) solar charge controllers came onto the scene and allow you to take a higher voltage input and reduce the charge controller voltage output to correctly charge a battery bank while increasing the output current, eliminating any power loss due to forcing PV panels to operate at whatever voltage the battery bank was actually at.
This opened up the possibility to use any cell count solar modules, as long as the voltage was higher than the battery bank. Although some specialized charge controllers allow you to charge with a lower voltage solar panel, most of them require a higher voltage.
Since 60-cell 'grid-tie' solar panels are so common now, their price per watt has dropped much lower than the standard 12V nominal panels, making them an attractive option to charge battery banks. Just remember, you have to use a more expensive MPPT charge controller to do it.
Also, note that you cannot use a single 60-cell solar panel to charge a 24V battery bank. You need at least 1 72-cell solar panel or 2 60-cell panels in series to have a voltage high enough to charge 24V. If you're in a cold environment, most 150V MPPT solar charge controllers limit you up to only 2 72-cell panels in series, but you can do up to 3 6-cell panels in series and still stay within that 150-volt limitation.
So, what about the 72-cell 24-volt solar modules for grid-tied systems? Well, technology and codes move forward, and newer revision of the electric codes now allow for volts strings for grid-tie commercial and utility-scale systems.
Also, grid-tie inverters are getting bigger and bigger, allowing for extremely high wattages is getting inverted. Since watts equals volts times amps, a way to increase the wattage of a solar panel is to increase the voltage by adding additional cells.
The cost of installing 60-cell vs. 72-cell panels may also vary a bit for your installation. 72-cell solar panels tend to be cheaper to install on a large scale, which is why they're more common for commercial applications. Because each panel has more solar cells, you can typically install fewer panels to generate the same amount of electricity. Fewer panels mean less racking is necessary, which helps cut down on overall equipment and installation costs.
On the other hand, 60-cell panels are lighter and easier to install which is why they're more common for residential rooftop installations. This can mean lower labor costs for the installation. For large, commercial installations, the extra size and weight of a 72-cell panel aren't as much of an obstacle because cranes are often used to lift the equipment to the rooftop.
There's one scenario where 72-cell solar panels are less common. This exception comes when you build a solar system around micro-inverters.
Micro-inverters work on a 1-to-1/2/4 system, where each inverter is hooked up to an individual PV panel(or 2 panels, sometimes 4 panels). The benefit of this type of system is that it is modular: if one part stops working, it doesn't affect the rest of your array. This makes it easy to repair and expand your system.
Micro-inverters have a cap on how much AC wattage they can handle. If PV panels produce more power than the micro-inverter can process, the panels would still work, but you're simply wasting electricity ' and by extension, wasting money. You'd essentially pay a higher price for your panels without getting the benefit of additional output.
When it comes down to choosing your solar modules, the number of cells included in the panel isn't the most important factor. Cost, aesthetics, warranty, efficiency, and durability should all be taken into account when selecting the right PV panels for your home or business.
For the cost, it's a good idea to compare your 60-cell and 72-cell panel options on a cost-per-watt ($/W) basis. Similar to looking at dollars per square foot when shopping for a home, looking at $/W shows you what the cost of a turnkey solar panel installation is on a per-watt basis. Looking at this factor will allow you to standardize the price of installations using either 60-cell and 72-cell panels, especially if you're comparing different system sizes.
PV panels come in a variety of cell colors (dark blue, blue, black), cell shapes (pseudo square, full square), backsheet colors (white, black) and frame colors (silver, black). If aesthetics are a concern, make sure to look at an image of the panel before signing the contract, or ask your installer for photos of their past installations with the same equipment to get a feel for how they will look on your roof. If you're looking for the sleekest appearance possible, there are many black-on-black panel options. You may pay more for these options, but it can be worth it.
The biggest difference is their size ' 72-cell panels are about a foot taller than 60-cell panels. Both types use the same technology and cost about the same per watt of power. 60-cell panels are popular for homes because they're lighter and easier to install, while 72-cell panels are often used in bigger commercial projects because you need fewer panels to get the same power output.
Yes, but you'll need the right setup! For a 24V battery system, you'll need either two 60-cell panels connected together or one 72-cell panel. Remember, you'll also need a special controller called an MPPT charge controller. It costs a bit more, but it helps your panels work efficiently with your batteries.
60-cell panels usually work better with micro-inverters. Here's why: micro-inverters can only handle a certain amount of power, and 72-cell panels might produce more power than the micro-inverter can handle. This means you'd be paying for extra panel power that you can't use ' kind of like buying a super-powerful sports car but never being able to drive it at full speed!
It depends on your project! For large installations like business buildings, 72-cell panels can save money because you need fewer panels and less mounting equipment. But for home installations, 60-cell panels might be more cost-effective because they're easier to handle and install, which means lower labor costs. Think about it like buying in bulk ' it's cheaper per item but only if you really need that much!
While it's technically possible, it's usually better to stick with one type. Using the same kind of panels helps your system work better and makes it easier to maintain. It's like building with Lego blocks ' everything fits together better when you use the same type of pieces!
Solar panels come in different colors like dark blue, blue, and black. The color doesn't affect how well they work, so it's mostly about how you want them to look on your roof. Black-on-black panels are popular because they look sleek, but they might cost a bit more. It's a good idea to ask your installer to show you pictures of different panels installed on houses similar to yours before making a choice.
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