"Let's be real, who wouldn't want to shave a hefty 10-20% off their next solar panel purchase? Sounds like a brilliant move, doesn't it? Well, that's exactly what wholesale buying empowers you to do.
Imagine your solar project coming to life: your dream home fully powered, that rustic off-grid cabin humming with energy, or your installation business thriving. No matter which path you're on, choosing to buy your panels in bulk isn't just a clever idea—it's a serious game-changer. And we're talking about more than just pocketing a stack of cash (though that’s a win we all love)."
That's the bright idea behind what we do at The Solar Store, and it's why folks love our 'Solar Panels by the Pallet' program—complete with special half-pallet pricing and expert guidance every step of the way.
So, ready to unlock some serious wholesale advantages? Stick with us, because in this post, we're breaking down exactly how to buy solar panels direct, step-by-step. Plus, we’ll share the inside track on snagging the absolute best value, whether you're a seasoned contractor, a savvy business owner, or an ambitious DIY enthusiast ready to make a real impact."
Buying solar panels in bulk saves you more money than buying them one at a time.
This is a great choice for large-scale installations, such as powering:
Entire communities
Commercial buildings
Expansive residential projects
If you’re a contractor or reseller
If you want to save big upfront
Buying by the pallet also means all your panels are the same type, which makes your setup look better and work more smoothly.
Since all the panels match, it's easier to maintain the system and keep it running at its best over time.
But don’t rush in blindly.
Since you’re buying in large orders, you want to be more intentional about your chosen supplier. It has to be reliable, have enough inventory, and have a solid support contact who can find the best solutions.
Below are proven tips for choosing the right solar panel for wholesale purchase.
This is especially useful for a large-scale DIY installation, but most professional installers will probably already know.
To size your solar system correctly, you must calculate how much energy you or your customers need daily.
The formula for this is: Total Energy Consumption (kWh/day) = ∑ (Power rating of device in watts × hours used per day) ÷
To put things in perspective, let’s say you’re powering a small rural home with:
4 LED bulbs × 10W × 5 hours = 200Wh
1 Fan × 60W × 8 hours = 480Wh
1 TV × 100W × 4 hours = 400Wh
1 Fridge × 150W × 24 hours = 3,600Wh
So, total daily load = 200 + 480 + 400 + 3,600 = 4,680 Wh = 4.68 kWh/day
If your load is 4,680 Wh/day and your location has 5 Peak Sun Hours, panel capacity = ( ÷ 5) × 1.3 = W
That means one home would need about 1.2 kW of panels. If you're doing this for 50 homes, you’d need:
1.2 kW × 50 = 60 kW (or 60,000W) worth of solar panels. If each panel is 400W, that means 60,000 ÷ 400 = 150 panels.
This is just a use-case scenario. The number of panels you need depends on your project's size, energy requirements, and the panels' efficiency.
Our team of experts can help you calculate the ideal number of panels based on your energy goals and space constraints.
Some suppliers charge by the watt, while others charge by the panel. Always check the minimum order quantities (MOQs); larger orders can result in deeper bulk pricing discounts.
Check for product parts and make sure that after-sales support is accessible.
At The Solar Store, we even offer financing options for large-scale projects.
We can work with you to find a payment plan that suits your budget, making wholesale solar panels more accessible for businesses and large residential projects.
You usually don’t need special permits to buy wholesale solar panels.
However, depending on where you live and the size of your project, you might need a permit to install them.
For example, we're based in Oregon. Here, you can buy solar panels in bulk without a special permit, but you do need an electrical permit before installing them.
It's always a good idea to check your local rules or talk to a professional installer for advice.
Purchasing solar panels in bulk may save you a lot of money, but only if you avoid a few simple errors.
There are different types of solar panels (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film).
Imagine you plan to install panels on rooftops where space is limited. You buy polycrystalline panels in bulk because they are cheaper.
Later, you realize monocrystalline panels would’ve given more power in less space. Now you're stuck with less-efficient panels.
HOW TO AVOID:
Research panel types first.
Match your needs with the right panel technology.
Not all panels perform as advertised. Some may claim 400W power output but give only 320W in real conditions.
Let’s say a supplier shows you fancy pictures and sends technical specs. Based on that, you order 100 panels.
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When they arrive, the frame is weak, and the output is poor. Testing just 1–2 samples before buying could have saved you thousands of dollars.
HOW TO AVOID:
Request 1–5 samples for testing.
Test power output, durability, and build quality.
Meanwhile, hidden costs have a way of getting in.
Depending on your supplier, additional shipping, handling, or installation fees may appear after you've secured an excellent panel price.
To avoid any surprises, get a complete cost breakdown in advance.
We created this checklist to help resellers, installers, or anyone who plans to buy solar panels in bulk:
Once you tick these boxes, you are most likely to get a good deal on your next solar panel bulk purchase.
At The Solar Store, we bring over 20 years of hands-on experience in supplying solar to contractors and families.
We offer solar panels from trusted brands such as Hyundai Solar, JA Solar, Jinko, and Trina Solar, providing you with reliable options for any project.
Our available solar panels in bulk purchase start from as low as $2,076 for 16 units of the Hyundai HiS-S405YH(BK) 405W Black Bifacial Solar Panel (Half-pallet).
Larger bulk options are also available, such as the 31 units of the JA Solar DeepBlue 3.0 550W Clear on White 144 Half-Cell Bifacial Solar Panel, which sells for $6,700.
Most items ship within one business day, and you get safe and secure payment processing powered by Shopify.
If you are looking for a place to buy wholesale solar panels, you’ve found it. A1 SolarStore offers PV modules from all over the world for competitive prices and with fast delivery. Let us tell you a little about the panels that we offer, how we deliver them and what kind of solar panel you might need.
There are three most popular types of solar panels on the market: monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin-film. Monocrystalline or mono panels are the most reliable and efficient type, polycrystalline or poly panels are slightly cheaper, but less productive. Thin-film panels or flexible panels are special in a way that they are very light and bend well.
Monocrystalline panels are easy to distinguish by the black color of the cells. Their efficiency today varies from 16 to 22%, which means that mono solar cells convert into direct current from 16% to 22% of the sunlight that they receive. That’s the most popular type of panels — in fact, most top manufacturers don’t even sell anything else.
Polycrystalline panels are usually blue in color. They were dominant on the market 10-20 years ago, but today they slowly fade away. The reason for this is their low efficiency: 13%-17%. Manufacturing process is cheaper than it is with mono panels, but lower cost doesn’t quite justify low production levels. However, some brands still like to experiment with them and include them in their product line — for example, Canadian Solar offers both wholesale mono and polycrystalline solar panels.
Thin-film panels are a special thing. They are cheap and very easy to install, because they bend well and their weight is small. However, they are inefficient and their lifespan is considerably shorter than the lifetime of rigid panels. Usually, a flexible panel lasts for 10-15 years. They are quite popular in mobile installations, such as RV and boat systems. Because of their low price, wholesale lightweight solar panels can be a good choice for large projects, especially when the configurations of a surface make it difficult to install rigid modules.
While China is an undeniable leader on the solar market, the companies from all over the world offer competitive solar products and we keep the best of them in stock. So what are the most popular and reliable solar panels wholesale suppliers? Let’s take a quick look at a few brands.
Panasonic is one the oldest and most well-known brands in electronics. The Japanese company gained a great reputation over the years. Photovoltaic panels from Panasonic are very high quality, packed with innovations and are known for outstanding performance at high temperatures.
The Canadian brand was founded by Chinese scientist Dr. Shawn Qu. The panels that the company offers for sale aren’t too expensive, but they are quite powerful and perform well in low-light conditions, such as cloudy days, winter and fall.
This Chinese company competes in the Top-5 world’s largest solar brands. The panels from Trina Solar hold several world records for being the most efficient and productive. At the same time, the Chinese brand manages to keep the prices relatively low.
Norwegian brand REC is known primarily for its premium-class residential PV modules. However, it doesn’t limit itself to this: the product line is wide enough that you can use wholesale REC solar panels for building a strong commercial system, small or large. REC products are known for high quality, great warranties and innovations.
The Chinese brand aims to be the largest solar brand in the world. JA Solar offers cheap, efficient, high output PV modules for all kinds of applications, but especially solar farms. For instance, JA Solar wholesale 500 Watt solar panels are a great choice for systems of a large scope. They feature simple design, low price and high output.
Solar panels can be very different in terms of cost, and several factors impact the final price, such as wattage, brand, type of panel, warranties, etc. Whatever brand you pick, its solar panel wholesale price is lower than retail, so you end up saving a lot. Notice that at A1SolarSolar when it comes to the wholesale price of a solar panel, we show the cost per watt rather than per pallet or per panel.
Generally, solar market prices can be described like this: Asian panels, especially Chinese ones, are the cheapest ones. The most popular brands here are JA, LONGI, Trina Solar, ZNShine and many others. Asian PV modules are known for high efficiency and often provide very high output, which makes them probably the most popular choice when it comes to wholesale solar panels for sale for systems of a larger scope. However, their warranties for products are lower and quality issues are more frequent in comparison to US and European companies.
US manufacturers offer solar panels for a medium price. American PV modules aren’t always the most modern and they sometimes lack efficiency in comparison to the most advanced Chinese models. However, the quality is there and the panels are sturdy and resilient. You could say that US brands are a good middle-of-the-road choice. Among the most popular USA brands of wholesale solar panels we could mention Mission Solar, Canadian Solar and Silfab.
There are also a few brands that offer premium-class PV modules for home installations. These include Panasonic Eco Solutions, LG, SunPower, REC, Solaria and a few others. Generally, it doesn’t make much sense to build commercial systems out of them — they are too classy and expensive for that. However, you might save quite a lot by opting to go for their wholesale solar roof panels. They often come with the best warranties on the market, have great design and withstand all kinds of harsh weather — a great choice for your home.
Our customers use solar panels for residential, commercial and industrial projects — solar energy proves to be a reliable and efficient tool in different circumstances. The panels that are used in home and business systems differ in their output, size and type of installation. Let’s go over the basics.
Generally, homeowners pick panels in the 300 to 370 Watt power range. For example, a 350 watt panel is a very popular choice for home installations. The average size of a residential system in the USA is 5-6 kW, so you usually need around 17-25 modules to power your home appliances with solar.
When it comes to commercial and industrial systems, customers tend to go for wholesale high power solar panels. 500 watt panels or even more powerful ones is a common thing in large solar projects and solar farms. That’s only natural: the energy needs of enterprises are huge and there is no reason not to maximize the power output per square foot when you want as much energy as possible.
Panels for home systems usually have 60/120 cells. They are relatively small and it's easier to fit them on a house roof. Their dimensions are about 39 x 66 inches. A 120-cell panel is the same size as 60-cell panels because of the half-cut cell technology. Generally all panels with 300-370 Watts of power have 60/120 cells.
In systems of a larger scope 72/144-cell and 96-cell are used more often. Usually, space constraints are less of a problem with commercial systems, therefore there is no reason not to pick up larger panels with higher power output. 72/144 cell panels are approximately 39 x 77 inches in size.
400 watt wholesale solar panels are an interesting case. They are the middle-of-the-road choice and you can often see them both in residential and commercial installations. They often have 66/132 cells and their dimensions vary from 39 x 71 to 39 x 77 inches.
The majority of home solar systems are installed on the roof. It’s only natural: homeowners rarely use roof space for anything else. Larger systems are often ground-based, since massive energy production with powerful wholesale solar panels is a priority. Small and medium commercial systems are often installed on a flat roof, which makes a system similar to a ground-based one.
Almost all installations of a large scope (>10-15 kW) are grid-tie, which means that they are connected to the grid. An owner of a grid-tie installation is free to use commercial electricity, but he also can pump his excess solar energy into the grid and gain credits from his electric utility. When systems get large, it becomes too expensive to add batteries for support.
The majority of residential systems are grid-tie as well, but going off-grid is a reasonable option here. It makes sense when power outages are too frequent or there are no power lines available. A solar system can become the only source of energy for a house in a remote location: PV modules power the appliances during the day and at night you rely on energy storage. Just a couple of batteries is usually enough to back up a small size solar system.
You might be wondering — how exactly are we going to deliver the pallet? A1 SolarStore has a distribution network throughout continental US. We work with the top freight carriers XPO, FedEx, ODFL, R&L etc. The panels are shipped with LTL/Freight service. Freight orders are delivered in a manner called ‘curbside delivery’, which generally means that the carrier delivers the pallet to the end of your driveway.
Important things to remember:
Alongside wholesale solar panels for your home and business, we also ship batteries, inverters, charge controllers and addons with FedEx Ground.
When you receive a shipment or grab your order at our fulfillment center, it’s important to remember a few guidelines about how to carry and move solar panels around.
When you carry a panel, try not to apply too much pressure in one spot. Distribute the weight of a module across your shoulder, arm and back. The installation process should be handled by professionals. Generally, they use a mechanical lift to get the panels up on the roof and some workers use a ladder instead.
If you want to grab the panels yourself at one of our fulfillment centers, leave a note "palletized order" in request comments. The pallet is a bit bigger than a panel and it might not fit in the back of every car. If you want to take the panels as they are, prepare some sort of packaging to minimize the risk of cracking the module. You can use foam pads, bubble wrap, and even blankets. Don't put anything on top of the panels!
So where to buy solar panels wholesale? A1 SolarStore is a great choice for several different reasons.
All of this makes A1 SolarStore the best place to buy solar panels wholesale. Our staff is ready to help you with your purchase and answer all of your questions about delivery, warranties and availability.
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