The Ultimate Blueprint to 500-Watt Solar Panels 

Indeed, solar panels can help you save money, reduce your carbon footprint, and protect you from astronomical electricity bills. However, before the actual installation of a solar system in your home or business, there are certain crucial decisions that you will need to make. Some of the most common ones are the angle of the installation of the panels, the type of panels, who will install them, the panels’ wattage, etc. The wattage of solar panels is actually a very popular topic of debate, particularly after the arrival of the powerful 500-watt ones. So, you’re maybe curious if they’re a better solution than the lower-wattage options for your home or not. How is a 500-watt solar panel different from a lower-wattage panel? Will it cost you more or less if you go with a higher wattage? Discover the answers to these and other questions about the 500-watt solar panels in the detailed guide below.  

The Role of Wattage in Solar Panels  

Although most solar panels in residences have a power range from 250 watts to 400 watts, the arrival of the new 500-watt panels has brought about a change in the solar industry. Despite still being a rarer choice for residential homes than the smaller wattage panels, the 500-watt panels are becoming more and more common, particularly in large-scale commercial and industrial areas.  The new generation of 500-watt solar panels is highly recommendable for covering large-scale areas due to offering panel efficiency and maximum power output from a single unit which wasn’t possible a decade or so ago. Watts or Wattage are units used for measuring the power rating of solar panels, i.e., it measures their productive power. The solar panels’ wattage is essential for determining the solar panel rating. In fact, the higher their wattage, the more power will the system be able to produce. The rating is based on the generated watts. And, a higher rating means that the solar system has the capacity to generate more power. If you decide to use solar panels with a more potent wattage, you will need fewer units, the costs for handling will drop, and the overall costs will be lower.  

What Are the Uses of a 500-Watt Solar Panel?  

500-watt solar panels were created to meet the needs for solar energy in medium and large systems with a lower number of panels. The end goal is to boost efficiency and reduce the associated costs. They’re considered a major technology breakthrough in the solar industry because there were only smaller wattage panels previously.  Panels with higher wattage create a lot of possibilities, particularly when combined with a solar inverter, a charge controller, and a solar battery. What’s more, if the space of the roof is limited, being able to set more potent panels may bring you closer to reducing your electricity costs. Today’s 500-watt panels are designed with the help of half-cut solar technology. These methods have made the panels highly efficient and durable. Also, they’re monocrystalline and considered more efficient than polycrystalline ones. According to the STC or Standard Test Conditions, a 500 watts panel has the capacity to produce 2.5 kWh of energy when operating for a period of six hours. Despite this, the real output of power will differ due to a variety of participating factors. STC is a standard in the industry that tests the performance of panels in lab conditions under 1000 lumens/m2 of light and at a specific temperature of 77 degrees F. This helps determine the output of power to be expected from a solar panel when placed under real sunlight and temperature.  

How Much Power Can a 500-Watt Solar Panel Produce? 

In ideal conditions, this solar panel is able to produce up to 500 watts; however, this doesn’t always happen because of the factors that influence the production, including how many hours of sun the panels get, the number of sunny days in your area, etc. Despite the inevitable variations, you can expect a 500-watt panel to make between three and four kWh of power daily and 731 kWh of power per year. This energy is enough to power different appliances throughout your home. With three to four kilowatts per hour and a sufficient amount of daily sunlight, you can power your desktop and laptop computer, the fan, the TV, several light bulbs, blender, mobile phone chargers, printers, fridge, toaster, microwave, etc. The number of solar panels you need for your home can be calculated with the help of a solar panel calculator. Generally speaking, to make a regular residential solar system with 6 kW of capacity, the number of 500-watt panels is 12. For comparison, if you want to go with the 375-watt panels to build the same system, you will need 16 panels. Despite having to buy fewer solar panels if you go with the 500-watt ones, they aren’t better or worse than the 375-watt ones in terms of efficiency.

What Is the Size of 500-Watt Solar Panels & How Many Do You Need? 

These panels are big: a single panel is around 27.5 square feet or 7.4 feet by 3.75 feet. Its larger size makes it more appropriate for large-scale and industrial settings; however, it’s also a great choice for houses with large roofs. A 500-watt panel is constructed using 144 half-cut monocrystalline cells and a single panel weighs around 71.2 lbs. As such, these panels are heavy and big and therefore a much better choice for commercial applications. Since a 10-panel array will weigh more than two grown men on average, professional installers are highly recommendable for setting up everything properly and safely. They have the necessary expertise and manpower to ensure the optimal installation of the panels. To bring the 500-watt panels closer, check out this comparison of the size and cell count of residential vs. commercial panels by the brand LONGi: 

🔸The residential panels are solar modules that are constructed with 60 solar cells and there’s a newer version with 120 half-cut cells. Their measure is approximately 5.76 feet by 3.41 feet. They weigh around 43 lbs.  

🔸The commercial purpose solar panels are bigger modules that were usually made with 72 cells whereas now, they also use 144 half-cut cells. They’re quite big and measure 7.40 feet by 3.72 feet.  

When trying to determine how many of these panels you will need, it’s essential to note that this will always be more than one. Namely, considering it produces only around three to four kWh on a daily basis and the average home in the US needs around 29 kWh of electricity per day, you will certainly need between 10 and 15 panels installed on the roof to meet your daily needs for energy. This will produce around 6 kW or 6000 watts of solar power. This system will create approximately 10,950 kWh annually. This will be sufficient power to cover your average use of electricity. Also, when determining the number of solar panels for the system, you should also consider your household’s yearly use of energy, as well as the environment in which the panels are installed and their type. 

How Many Solar Panels Will You Need? 

Solar calculators are an effective, easy, and exact way to determine the number of solar panels for your home without doing the math. But, if you still want to make all the calculations yourself, here are the factors you should consider: 

🔌 Your Energy Consumption 

Open your recent power bill and find the monthly consumption of electricity. This is usually the total electricity amount found at the bottom in kWh. You can use one bill to approximately determine the energy consumption; however, if you want to be more precise, rely on the yearly use of energy as an estimate. This is because the use of energy differs according to the season.  Locate the bills for the whole year and add the electric usage from each month and then divide this amount by 12.  

🔆 Determine The Sunlight That The Panels Will Receive 

Now it’s time to find the peak sun hours or the intensity of sunlight in your place of living. Every state has different numbers of daily peak sun hours or the hours that they get sunlight. Once you determine this, you need to find out the monthly amount of sunlight. This can be done by multiplying the hours of your state by 30. Averagely, there are around 120 to 150 peak sun hours in the US every month. Thanks to the monthly peak sun hours, you can find out how many kWh of electricity will 1 kW of panels produce every month. For example, if there are 150 monthly peak sunlight hours where you leave, a kW of solar will make 150 kWh of electricity monthly. 

⬜ The Size Of The System  

When you’ve determined the electricity production of a kW of solar, you can move on to finding the right size of the solar system to cover your needs. You can do this by dividing the monthly use of electricity by the monthly peak sun hours and you will find the optimal system’s size in kW. 

🗒️ The Number Of The Panels 

Once you know the size, you should determine the number of panels. To calculate this, take the solar system size and multiply it by 1,000. This will transform the size from kilowatts to watts. For example, 6.61 kW of solar multiplied by 1,000 equals 6,610 watts of solar. After this, divide the size of the system in watts by the solar panels’ wattage. An average solar panel in the US is around 370 watts. When you divide 6,610 watts by 370 watts, you get the number 18 or 18 solar panels for your home or business. If you want to install the 500-watt ones, you will need fewer ones, i.e., 13 panels. Being precise with the number of necessary panels is essential. Don’t install under or over the recommended number. In the case of surplus panels, they’re no longer cost-effective. Of course, you can sell the surplus energy to the grid, but this isn’t as practical as using it.

Some of the Main Factors to Consider when Determining the Number of Solar Panels 

Below are the three essential determinants of the number of solar panels you need to meet your electricity consumption: 

⚡ Your Household’s Use of Electricity  

The number of solar panels depends on the amount of electricity your household uses. This is important so that the solar system can be able to produce the same energy to power your appliances. The ultimate goal is to reduce or eliminate your electricity bill.  

💪 The Wattage of The Panels 

As we already emphasized, the wattage of the panels will influence the number of units necessary. Nowadays, you can choose between a lower power ratings panel like the 370-watt one or go with a higher option like the 500-watt one. You will need fewer panels if you decide to go with a higher wattage rating. 

☀️ The Sunlight Exposure in The Home 

If your home or business is located in a less sunny area, you may need a higher number of panels to remove the electricity bill than you would need if you lived in a sunnier place. In the US, the southwest states have the most sunny days whereas the northeast states have the least.  

The Tech Used for 500-Watt Solar Panel 

500-watt solar panels are made with innovative solar tech. The two most frequently used technologies for their production are the following: 

Bifacial. 500-watt panels are bifacial in order to achieve their wattage rating. A bifacial panel is double-sided which means that they’re able to collect sunlight and transform it into energy from the two sides. They’re only useful for utility-scale or ground-mount installations as the backside also needs to be exposed to sunlight. They’re considered a less suitable choice for a roof because they need to be installed against it. 

Half cut. The half-cut solar cell technology for solar panels is very similar in size to the traditional solar cell panels; however, they’re able to make more energy. When the traditional solar cell is half cut, their current is also halved and thus, the losses are reduced and the efficiency is better. This tech is a great way to make solar energy from the same surface and there’s no significant difference in the price between the traditional and the half-cut cell structures. 

How Much Will a 500-Watt Solar Panel System Cost? 

Thanks to information provided by the NREL Solar Photovoltaic System & Energy Storage Cost Benchmarks Q1, 2022 document, we can conclude that a 500-watt solar panel costs around $0.25 per watt. But, this price is affected by numerous other factors such as transportation, storage, handling, etc. so the price ranges between $0.7 to $1.50 per watt or $350 to $750 per single solar panel. To calculate the budget that you will need for these panels, multiply the cost of a single panel by the number of panels you need that will meet your home’s energy consumption.  

Takeaway/ Are 500-Watt Solar Panels Worth the Investment?  

Without a doubt, 500-watt solar panels are an impressive innovation in half-cut solar technology and are praised for their efficiency and durability. However, despite their benefits, they may not be the greatest solution for all roofs, especially smaller homes. This is because the panels are heavy and large and they’re not cost-effective or practical for residential solar solutions. On the other hand, if you’re looking to introduce solar energy in a larger residential or commercial area and reduce your electricity costs, these panels may be a worthy option to consider. If you’re on the lookout for a residential installation, the 350-400 watt panels remain the optimal solution. This is due to them offering the three vital elements, that is, cost, efficiency, and size, in one. Despite these factors, the final decision will be based on what you need, as well as the budget you have and the efficiency you wish to achieve.  A useful way to determine if the switch to 500-watt panels is really worth is to determine the number of panels you need. And, it’s important to determine if the amount of energy they produce will meet your needs as much as the previous energy source did. 

Frequently Asked Questions: