Slightly different but designed to perform the same function, 60- and 72-cell solar panels are two types of photovoltaic (PV) hardware used to generate solar electricity.
To understand exactly what 60- and 72-cell solar panels are, you first need to grasp the concept of the solar cell itself. Solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells, are the individual squares or rectangles beneath the glass of a solar panel, usually laid out in a grid pattern, that contain the electricity-conducting materials that allow solar panels to function.
As you may assume, a 60-cell solar panel contains 60 solar cells, while a 72-cell panel has 72 solar cells. Typically, 60-cell solar panels lay their cells out in a 6-by-10 grid, while 72-cell solar panels use a 6-by-12 grid.
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Besides the obvious difference in cell count, 60-cell and 72-cell solar panels are also slightly different in both size and preferred applications. 72-cell solar panels are physically larger than 60-cell solar panels because the increased cell count takes up more space on a roof- or ground-mounted array.
As Daniel Greenwald, a sales professional for electrical equipment with Viega, a manufacturing and distributing company, explained to us, “60-cell and 72-cell solar panels do the same thing, but 72-cell panels are bigger — that’s why you’ll see them more on solar farms and commercial buildings, rather than homes where there is less space to work with.”
72-cell panels are bigger — that’s why you’ll see them more on solar farms and commercial buildings, rather than homes.”— Daniel Greenwald
With 12 extra solar cells, 72-cell solar panels can also generate more total energy than 60-cell solar panels when all other variables are the same. For example, if a solar cell is rated at 5 watts (5 W), a 60-cell panel would have a total wattage of 300 W (60 cells x 5 W), and a 72-cell solar panel would have a total wattage of 360 W (72 cells x 5 W).
In general, 72-cell solar panels are also slightly more expensive than 60-cell solar panels due to the increased materials required for manufacturing and assembly. Considering the added wattage capacity, however, the price you pay for 60-cell and 72-cell panels is usually about the same on a cost-per-watt basis.
So even though there aren’t significant differences in the function or relative value of 60- and 72-cell solar panels, their size difference may play an important factor in your installation. Basically, if you have plenty of usable installation space, either technology will do. However, if your roof or yard space is limited, 60-cell solar panels may be able to fit more easily in smaller areas.
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As the most compact product of its kind, 60-cell solar panels work best for residential applications, recreational vehicles (RVs) and other installations where space may be limited.
However, with fewer photovoltaic cells in each panel, 60-cell solar panels are also more limited in their overall output potential. When designing your system, this may mean that you’ll need more panels to reach your desired system capacity than in an installation that uses 72-cell equipment.
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Generally, 72-cell solar panels can produce more solar energy per panel than their 60-cell counterparts, so you may be able to purchase fewer 72-cell solar panels to achieve the same total system capacity.
However, keep in mind that they require more installation space, which can sometimes make them more difficult to fit on the roof of a home, garage or other compact areas.
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