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Top 6 Best 400-Watt Solar Panels in 2022 (Cost, Specs & More)
In this EcoWatch guide on 400 watt solar panels, you’ll learn:
- What the best 400-watt solar panels are today
- What a 400-watt solar panel can power
- What the price ranges are for a 400-watt solar panel
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What Are the Best 400-Watt Solar Panels Available?
Many of the solar panels you’ll see in residential solar projects are between 400 and 500 watts, so many of the major solar manufacturers — like SunPower Solar, Panasonic, LG, and Tesla — produce several options in the 400W range. There are also some solar kits available for DIY installation, so we’ll include one in case you prefer to do your own installation. Below are our top picks for 400W solar modules.
- Best Overall: SunPower A Series Residential Monocrystalline Solar Panels
- Best Warranty: SunPower SPR-E20-435-COM 435-Watt Mono Solar Panels
- Best Value: Canadian Solar HiKu Mono PERC Series Solar Panels
- Best Durability: LG High-Efficiency LG NeON 72Cell Module Cells LG400N2W-A5 Solar Panels
- Most Affordable: Mission Solar Energy (MSE) MSE PERC 72 SX6W 405 Solar Panels
- Best for DIY Installations: Renogy 400-Watt 12 Volt Solar Premium Kit
SunPower
Best National Provider
Nationwide Service
Average cost
Pros
- Most efficient panels on the market
- National coverage
- Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
- Great warranty coverage
Cons
- Expensive
- Customer service varies by local dealer
SunPower designs and installs industry-leading residential solar and storage solutions across all 50 states. With a storied history of innovation dating back to 1985, no other company on this list can match SunPower’s experience and expertise.
SunPower earns its position as the top national installer on our list for a handful of reasons: It installs the most efficient solar technology on the residential market, offers the most expansive service area and backs its installations with a warranty well above the industry standard. All the while, SunPower pioneers sustainability efforts within the industry.
If that weren’t enough, SunPower systems come packaged with products all manufactured in-house by its sister company, Maxeon. This means that your panels, solar cells, inverters, battery and EV chargers are designed to work together and are all covered under the same warranty.
SunPower’s biggest downside? Its high-efficiency panels are considerably more expensive than most of its competitors’ products. However, its powerful panels are workhorses that make up for the initial cost with more backend production (think about this like spending more money for a car that gets more miles per gallon).
Facts and Figures: SunPower
| EcoWatch Rating |
|---|
| Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating |
| Average Cost ($-$$$$$) |
| Solar Services |
| Brands of Solar Equipment Offered |
| 5 |
| A+ |
| $$$$ |
| Solar Panels, Solar Batteries, EV Chargers, System Monitoring |
| SunPower Panels |
Blue Raven Solar
Best Solar Financing
Regional Service
Average cost
Pros
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
Cons
- Doesn't offer solar batteries (coming 2022)
We like Blue Raven Solar because it understands that, for most homeowners, the cost of solar presents the biggest barrier to entry.
For that reason, Blue Raven Solar developed an innovative solar financing plan that offers in-house, flexible, zero-money-down options. The results speak for themselves, as Blue Raven Solar is now one of the fastest-growing solar companies in the nation and was recently acquired by SunPower. Its BluePower Plus+ plan (exclusive to Blue Raven) mimics the flexible structure of a lease while still providing the greatest benefits of owning your system.
Eligible homeowners enjoy 18 months of solar power before having to pay their first bill. When coupled with the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC), the initial energy savings can offset more than a third of the overall cost of a system before requiring a dollar down.
In contrast, other installers can only offer similar financing through solar leases, PPAs or third-party providers (such as Mosaic or Sunlight). Third-party loan providers can complicate the process, while opting for a loan or PPA will disqualify you from some of solar’s biggest benefits (additional property value, federal solar tax credit and local solar incentives).
Facts and Figures: Blue Raven Solar
| EcoWatch Rating |
|---|
| Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating |
| Average Cost ($-$$$$$) |
| Solar Services |
| 4.5 |
| A+ |
| $$ |
| Solar Panels, System Monitoring |
ADT Solar
Best Warranty Coverage
Regional Service
Average cost
Pros
- Industry-leading warranty coverage
- Expansive service area
Cons
- Some reported communication issues
- No leases or PPAs
ADT Solar sets the industry standard for warranty coverage by including a multifaceted guarantee, making it one of the top installers for homeowners who want added peace of mind.
Its warranty coverage includes all of the following for 25 years:
- Power Production Guarantee: Also known as a performance guarantee, this ensures your solar system will produce the amount of electricity that’s outlined in your proposal, or ADT will write you a check for the difference.
- Labor Guarantee: This covers any issues with the installation of your system and is also known as a workmanship warranty.
- Panel Module Performance Guarantee: This is what ADT Solar refers to the manufacturer warranty as, and it ensures that any manufacturing defects are repaired or your ineffective panels replaced.
- Enphase Microinverters Guarantee: This backs the performance of your inverters.
Though in recent years other solar companies have started to offer similar guarantees, ADT Solar has been at it since 2008, performing over 30,000 installations across the country.
Facts and Figures: ADT Solar
| EcoWatch Rating |
|---|
| Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating |
| Average Cost ($-$$$$$) |
| Solar Services |
| 4 |
| A- |
| $$$ |
| Solar Panels, Solar Batteries, EV Chargers, Energy-Efficiency Upgrades |
Best 400w Solar Panels: Pricing
Smaller solar panels — usually in the 300-watt range — are more geared toward DIY solar panel installers and small-scale renewable energy projects, and they’re sold by retailers at standard prices in solar panel kits.
Once you get up into the 400-watt range, solar panels are still meant for residential and other individual consumer purposes, but they’re more often installed by professionals and the panel cost is included in the total cost for a solar installation. Fewer solar starter kits include 400-watt panels.
The table below provides average pricing on a per-watt basis for an entire solar panel system (the cost for the DIY kit is not priced per watt).
| Solar Panel | Average Price Per Watt |
| SunPower A Series Residential Monocrystalline Solar Panels | $3.12 – $3.74 |
| SunPower SPR-E20-435-COM 435-Watt Mono Solar Panels | $3.12 – $3.74 |
| Canadian Solar HiKu Mono PERC Series Solar Panels | $2.70 – $3.20 |
| LG High-Efficiency LG NeON 72Cell Module Cells LG400N2W-A5 Solar Panels | $2.78 – $3.60 |
| Mission Solar Energy (MSE) MSE PERC 72 SX6W 405 Solar Panels (Polycrystalline or Monocrystalline) | $2.25 – $2.69 |
| Renogy 400-Watt 12 Volt Solar Premium Kit | $799.99 (includes four 400W solar panels, an Adventurer lithium deep cycle battery bank, a PWM charge controller, and Z brackets for mounting) |
Best 400w Solar Panels: Warranties
Solar panels are expensive, so it’s important to protect your investment by choosing a solar panel brand that provides a lengthy warranty.
Solar warranties can cover the equipment, the labor or workmanship for the installation, the power production over time or a combination of the three. Longer warranties that cover all aspects of your solar project are, of course, the best option. Panels sold for DIY solar installation will not include a workmanship warranty.
The table below provides warranty information for our top five 400W solar panel picks.
| Solar Panel | Warranty Coverage Included |
| SunPower A Series Residential Monocrystalline Solar Panels | 25-year warranty for equipment and labor, plus a 25-year progressive warranty for power generation (minimum of 85.5% after 25 years) |
| SunPower SPR-E20-435-COM 435-Watt Mono Solar Panels | 25-year warranty for equipment and labor, plus a 25-year progressive warranty for power generation (minimum of 85.5% after 25 years) |
| Canadian Solar HiKu Mono PERC Series Solar Panels | 10-year limited warranty for equipment plus a 25-year limited warranty for power generation (minimum of 80% after 25 years) |
| LG High-Efficiency LG NeON 72Cell Module Cells LG400N2W-A5 Solar Panels | 25-year limited warranty plus 25-year generation warranty guaranteeing a minimum of 90.6% efficiency |
| Mission Solar Energy (MSE) MSE PERC 72 SX6W 405 Solar Panels | 12-year warranty for equipment, or up to 25 years with an extended warranty |
| Renogy 400-Watt 12 Volt Solar Premium Kit | 5-year warranty for equipment and workmanship |
Best 400w Solar Panels: Specs
Every solar panel is different, so even panels that come with the same wattage can have varying dimensions based on the number of solar cells, the cell type (like half-cut or full-cell), and their size.
The average size of a 400-watt solar panel is 39” by 79” (or ~21.4 square feet) at around 1.4” thick. 400-watt solar panels typically weigh around 50 pounds, making them a challenge to get up onto roofs without the proper equipment. This, along with electrical considerations, is one of the reasons the installation is often left to professionals.
The table below provides dimensions and weights for the best solar panels in the 400-watt range.
| Solar Panel | Product Dimensions (Per Panel) | Panel Weight (Per Panel) |
| SunPower A Series Residential Monocrystalline Solar Panels | 40.0” by 72.2” at 1.57” thick | 44 lbs |
| SunPower SPR-E20-435-COM 435-Watt Mono Solar Panels | 41.18” by 81.38” at 1.81” thick | 56 lbs |
| Canadian Solar HiKu Mono PERC Series Solar Panels | 41.26” by 76.38” at 1.38” thick | 49.6 lbs |
| LG High-Efficiency LG NeON 72Cell Module Cells LG400N2W-A5 Solar Panels | 40.31” by 79.79” at 1.57” thick | 47.84 lbs |
| Mission Solar Energy (MSE) MSE PERC 72 SX6W 405 Solar Panels | 41.5” by 82.13” at 1.57” thick | 50.7 lbs |
| Renogy 400-Watt 12 Volt Solar Premium Kit | 20.9” by 41.8” at 1.4” thick | 14.1 lbs each |
How Much Energy Will a 400-Watt Solar Panel Produce?
While most homeowners will naturally want to know how much energy each 400-watt solar panel they install on their homes will produce, the answer is a bit complicated.
The rating on your PV module in wattage tells you the maximum amount of energy it can generate with full, intense sunlight. This measurement of power output is called the Standard Test Condition (STC).
However, in reality, there are many factors that affect the panel’s efficiency and power production. Some of the factors that affect your production are shown below:
- The direction your panels face
- The intensity of the sunlight that hits the panels
- The hours of daylight in your area
- The weather, including the average number of cloudy days per year
- Shading on your property from trees or nearby buildings
- The brand of the panel you choose and its maximum efficiency
- The age of your panel, as they lose efficiency over time
For a baseline production, you can use the calculation belows, but remember that this estimate can change drastically based on the factors above:
Your Daily Watt-Hours per Panel = [average hours of sunlight] x [solar panel wattage] x [75% maximum power production to account for changing weather conditions and lower sun intensity in the morning and afternoon]
Your Daily Kilowatt-Hours (kWh) per Panel = [your daily watt-hours] / 1,000
If we assume that your area receives eight hours of sunlight every day, we can use the above equation to calculate how much power each 400-watt panel on your property will produce on a daily basis.
[8 hours of sunlight] x [400 watts] x 75% = 2,400 watts per day
[2,400 watts per day] / 1,000 = 2.4 kWh per day
Remember, this should be considered as maximum production, and the factors mentioned above can bring this number down significantly. If we assume maximum production, you’re looking at 2.4 kWh of energy production every day, which equates to 876 kWh per year per 400-watt panel.
This is often a good place to start when deciding how many panels you need for your project. If your home consumes the national average of 10,715 kWh per year, for example, you’d need 13 400-watt panels to power your home. The calculation below explains why.
[10,715 kWh of energy needed] / [876 kWh of production per panel] = 12.23 panels, which gets rounded up to 13 panels
Learn More About Purchasing Solar Panels
What Can a 400-Watt Solar Panel Run?
Depending on the voltage required, a single 400-watt solar panel can run most of the smaller electronics and electric devices in your home.
The table below provides a list of some of the more common things you can run with a 400-watt solar panel, along with the rated watts of each, which must be met in order to provide sufficient power.
| Appliance/Household Item | Running or Rated Watts Required to Run |
| Phone Charger | 10 watts |
| CFL Light Bulb | 18 watts |
| Ceiling Fan | 60 watts |
| Standard 60W Incandescent Light Bulb | 60 watts |
| DVD Player | 100 watts |
| Mini-Fridge | 100 watts |
| Home Speaker System | 100 watts |
| Box Fan or Floor Fan | 100 watts |
| Hair Straightener | 120 watts |
| Laptop Power Supply | 125 watts |
| Electric Can Opener | 170 watts |
| Gaming Console | 180 watts |
| Vacuum Cleaner | 200 watts |
| Rice Cooker | 200 watts |
| Heated Blanket | 200 watts |
| Up to 56” LCD TV | 225 watts |
| Paper Shredder | 225 watts |
| TV | 230 watts |
| PC (Non-Gaming) | 240 watts |
| Small Dehumidifier | 250 watts |
| Computer Monitor | 250 watts |
| Crockpot | 250 watts |
| Projector | 280 watts |
| Whole-House Exhaust Fan | 350 watts |
| Blender | 360 watts |
| Central AC Fan Only | 370 watts |
| Evaporative Cooler | 400 watts |
| Keurig Coffee Maker | 400 watts |
| Desktop PC and Monitor | 400 watts |
Watch Below: See some of these items put to the test with a 400w LG solar panel in the below video.
What Factors Influence Solar Panel Power Output?
As mentioned above, there are quite a few things that affect the power output of your solar panels. One of the most important factors is the amount of sunlight that hits them each day. You’ll need to take into consideration things like the shading on your property from trees or buildings, the number of sunlight hours you receive per day, and the weather.
Also important is solar irradiance, which is a measurement of how intense the sunlight is in your area, as this can have a major impact on solar energy production.
The brand of your panels and the rated efficiency also matter, as does the age. Panels gradually lose efficiency as they age, and different brands will start at different levels of efficiency and lose efficiency at different rates.
Finally, the direction your panels face — south is the best direction for panels in the U.S., by far — will affect your level of solar energy production.
Solar Panel Voltage
Solar system voltage — including open-circuit voltage (VOC) and short circuit current (ISC) — is an often-overlooked measurement on panel datasheets, but it’s an important one to consider, especially for residential solar applications. It’s easiest to imagine voltage in terms of how liquids behave.
Suppose you have a large water tank with a hose leading out of the bottom. When you open the valve to the hose, water will flow out of the hose at a speed (amps) proportionate to the amount of water in the tank (voltage). The more water you have in the tank (your solar panels’ voltage rating), the more force will be exerted at the exit point (batteries or electronic devices).
Everything that uses electricity comes with a voltage rating, which determines how much voltage from your panels is required to power it. For example, an electric stove often requires 240 volts to power, while a 12-volt battery requires just over 12. A solar panel with a rating of 24 volts could supply power to a 12-volt battery, provided you have an MPPT charge controller, but it would fall far short when it came to power the stove.
Solar panel voltage can be affected by wave length and distance to the sun.2
Ultimately, your panel voltage will determine what items your solar array can provide power for. Keep in mind that panels can be run in series using branch connectors to ramp up the voltage to your inverter.
Learn More About Kilowatts & Solar Panels
How Many 400-Watt Solar Panels Do I Need?
When you’re planning on installing solar panels, you always want to know how many panels you need so you don’t end up overpaying for your solar power system or installing a solar array that won’t cover your usage if you plan on going off-grid. To determine how many solar panels you need, you can divide your total energy consumption by the total expected production of the panels you intend to install.
For example, if you need to know how many 400-watt solar panels you need to power your home, you can check your past electric bills for average annual usage. The average consumption in America is 10,715 kWh per year. Using our calculations above for an area that sees eight hours of sun a day, you could use the calculation below to figure out how many panels you need:
[10,715 kWh per year] / [876 kWh produced per panel] = 12.23 panels, rounded up to 13 panels
Provided you use solar panels intended for homes, a 10 kWh solar system would require around 13 400-watt panels.
FAQs: 400-Watt Solar Panels
A single 400-watt solar panel can produce up to 2,400 watts, or 2.4 kWh per day. However, factors like the direction your panels face, how much sunlight your panels receive, weather and the age and brand of your solar panels can cause this number to change.
Of the brands we evaluated, the average price per watt of a solar panel system is between $2.25 and $3.74. That means if you had a 5 kW system, it could cost you between $19,688 and $32,725 after the tax credit.
A 400-watt solar system can generate enough electricity to power your home if you have enough solar panels. If your household consumes the national average of 10,715 kWh per year, you would need at least 13 400-watt solar panels to power your home. The more powerful your panel choice, the fewer you need to power your home.
