200-Watt Solar Panel Price, Working, Uses, Pros, and Cons

A 200-watt solar panel is a compact and lightweight photovoltaic module that converts sunlight into DC electricity. Most 200-watt solar panels use monocrystalline cells. These panels are rarely used for residential or commercial rooftop systems because you need many more modules to reach a given kW (kilowatt). This tends to increase the structure, wiring, and labor costs.

By contrast, today’s mainstream 540-550-watt solar panels deliver more power per panel. Thus, you’ll need fewer modules for the same kilowatt output, and you save roof space.

The 200-watt solar panel price in India for DCR modules is ~Rs. 25 per watt-peak* + 12% GST. On the contrary, the more efficient 550-watt Mono-PERC bifacial solar panels by elite solar panel manufacturers like Premier Energies and Renew Power cost just ~Rs. 24 per watt peak* + 12% GST for DCR projects.

*Please note: The above-mentioned solar panel prices are indicative and not fixed. The final cost of a 200-watt solar panel depends on panel type, panel wattage, brand, cell technology used, market demand of the module, etc. Prices are subject to change. Also, DCR modules are for residential projects that are eligible for subsidy. Their prices are different from the non-DCR modules (not eligible for a subsidy), which are used for commercial rooftop systems and industrial or utility-scale solar farms.

While 200-watt solar panels aren’t suitable for rooftop solar panel systems for homes, housing societies, and commercial complexes, they can be used as portable modules while you go camping and hiking, as they’re lightweight and can produce enough power to keep your phones and tablets charged in off-grid and remote locations.

In this blog, we’ve covered the working of 200-watt solar panels, their cost, why they aren’t suitable for rooftop solar for housing societies, homes, and industries, and which wattage panels make ideal on-grid solar systems. We will also explain the benefits and cons of 200-watt solar panels, their uses, and product specifications.

TL;DR Summary Box: What Can a 200-Watt Solar Panel Run?

A 200-watt solar panel can produce up to 200 watts when sunlight is strong. That’s suitable for charging phones, tablets, and running small loads like LED lights, a Wi-Fi router, or a laptop when used with a solar panel charge controller. However, a single 200-watt solar panel is not enough for a full-size household fridge. At best, it can support a small DC travel fridge for a few hours with a lithium battery.

If you want to power the entire household, you’ll need an on-grid solar system made of multiple solar panels, not just one. Furthermore, modern rooftop solar systems rarely use 200-watt solar panels. The most recommended wattage for panels is 540-550 watts to build a solar energy system.

Here are the main topics we’ve covered in this blog in detail:

Main Topics	Quick Takeaways
How does a 200-watt solar panel work?	Sunlight hits the panel and makes DC electricity. You can connect it to a charge controller to power devices safely.
What is the 200-watt solar panel price?	~Rs. 25 per watt-peak* + 12% GST for DCR modules
Is 200-watt recommended for rooftop solar systems?	No.
What are the benefits of a 200-watt solar panel?	It’s light, compact, and easy to move. It can power devices like laptops, tablets, and phones.
What are the disadvantages of a 200-watt solar panel?	It’s weather-dependent and unsuitable for kW-scale solar systems.
200-watt vs 550-watt solar panels for rooftop solar systems, which is recommended and why?	Go with 550-watt (or similar high-wattage) panels for rooftops. You’ll need fewer panels, save roof space, cut wiring and mounting costs, and get a cleaner layout.

*Please note: The above-mentioned solar plate price is indicative and not fixed. The final 200-watt solar panel price depends on panel type, brand, cell technology used, market demand of the module, etc. Prices are subject to change. Also, DCR modules are for residential projects that are eligible for subsidy. Their prices are different from the non-DCR modules (not eligible for a subsidy), which are used for commercial rooftop systems and industrial or utility-scale solar farms.

What is a 200-Watt Solar Panel and How Does it Work?

A 200-watt solar panel is a lightweight PV module that’s designed to absorb photons from sunlight and generate electricity in the form of DC (direct current) output. 200 watts is the maximum output these panels can produce in strong sun.

In practice, a 200-watt PV panel produces enough power to charge phones and laptops and run small items like LED lights and a Wifi router.

How Does a 200-Watt Solar Panel Work?

A 200-watt solar panel works just like any other solar panel does. Photons in the sunlight are absorbed by the solar panel. Those photons loosen electrons that begin to flow in one direction. This flow of electrons is direct current power.

Here’s a step-by-step working of a solar panel in detail:

Step 1 – Photons in sunlight fall on solar panels: Solar panels are made of semiconductor material, which is mostly silicon. These silicon cells absorb photons present in sunlight.
Step 2 – Photons use their energy to excite electrons present in the silicon cells: By transferring their energy to electrons, photons create an electron-hole pair, causing the energized electrons to leave their place and begin moving.
Step 3 – The built-in field in the solar cells keeps the positive and negative charges (holes and electrons) separate: Hadn’t it been for this built-in field, direct current wouldn’t have been produced. The built-in electric field inside the cell drives electrons one way and holes the other. This reduces how often charges recombine and creates a usable voltage.
Step 4 – The direct current flows through the external circuit: When the panel is connected to a load, electrons flow through the wire from the n contact to the p contact. That movement of electrons through the external path is direct current (DC).
Step 5 – Many solar cells are connected in series to create a solar panel: A single silicon cell can produce only 0.5 to 0.6 volts each. Thus, many photovoltaic cells are connected in series to make a solar panel that produces usable voltage.

What Are the Types of 200-Watt Solar Panels?

The primary two types of 200-watt solar panels are monocrystalline solar panels and bifacial solar panels. Earlier, polycrystalline solar panels were quite popular. However, polycrystalline is now an obsolete technology and is rarely used in residential or commercial rooftop solar systems.

Let’s check out all three types in detail:

Polycrystalline solar panels: They’re made by melting silicon fragments, instead of using a single ingot. The molten silicon is shaped into square cells. They have an efficiency of 16-17% and a lifespan of 20-25 years. Now obsolete in on-grid rooftop solar systems for residential and commercial purposes, poly panels can sometimes be used to build off-grid solar systems to run small loads. Even then, 200-watt poly panels are rarely used to build a system in kilowatts. Higher wattage panels are preferred.
Monocrystalline solar panels: Instead of using fragments of silicon, mono panels are made from a single silicon ingot, which is unbroken and pure. As a result, their efficiency is higher. With a lifespan of 30-40 years, monocrystalline solar panels register efficiencies between 19% to 20%. As for the use of a 200-watt mono panel, it’s still not used for solar systems. The best use cases include camping and RVs, as well as charging gadgets like laptops, phones, and small rechargeable power banks with lithium batteries.
Bifacial solar panels: These are among the most advanced silicon solar panels, with efficiencies up to 22%. Their uniqueness lies in their ability to collect direct sunlight from the front and diffused sunlight from the rear. The higher-wattage bifacial panels are currently most popular for solar PV systems. The 200-watt bifacial solar panels are still not economically viable for creating solar PV systems in kilowatts.

Why Are 200-Watt Solar Panels Not Suitable For Rooftop Solar Systems?

A rooftop solar panel system for homes ranges in kilowatts. Even an average-sized Indian home that doesn’t have an AC still requires at least a 2 kW solar system to support all energy requirements. If 200-watt solar panels were used to build solar systems, then it would require 10 solar panels to build a system as small as 2 kW.

Connecting so many panels would require significantly more wiring, structure, and labor, making the installation substantially more expensive. Plus, not all roofs have ample shadow-free space.

In fact, even before 550-watt bifacial solar panels were launched, the standard and basic module size, which was recommended for homes and commercial buildings, was still 330-watt.

The bottom line, against the belief that lower-wattage panels are cheaper, is that higher-wattage solar panels are far more economical for rooftop solar systems as they offer a much better ROI, consume a lot less space, and need way fewer panels to reach the desired system capacity.

200-Watt Solar Panels vs 550-Watt Solar Panels for Rooftop Solar Systems

Here’s the simple formula used to calculate the number of solar panels needed to build a solar system:

Number of solar panels = Solar system’s capacity in watts / solar panel’s capacity

Based on this formula, let’s check out the number of panels required to build a 3 kW solar system with 200 and 550-watt solar panels, respectively:

Number of 200-watt solar panels needed = 3,000 / 200 = 15 solar panels
Number of 550-watt solar panels needed = 3,000 / 550 = 5.45, rounded off to, 6 solar panels

So, it’s six 550-watt solar panels vs fifteen 200-watt solar panels to build a 3 kW system. It doesn’t take much to understand that higher-wattage panels require significantly less space, reduce labor and wiring costs, and are simpler to combine.

Here’s a tabulated snapshot of the number of 200-watt and 550-watt solar panels needed to build solar systems of different capacities.

Solar System Size	Number of 200-Watt Solar Panels Needed	Number of 550-Watt Solar Panels Needed
2 kW solar system	10	4
3 kW solar system	15	6
4 kW solar system	20	8
5 kW solar system	25	10
10 kW solar system	50	19

What is the Cost of a 200-Watt Solar Panel?

The 200-watt solar panel price in India for DCR modules is ~Rs. 25 per watt-peak* + 12% GST. Which means, the total estimated cost of a 200-watt solar panel (for DCR projects) will be 200 x 25 = Rs. 5,000 + 12% GST = ~Rs. 5,600*

*Please note: The above-mentioned solar plate prices are indicative and not fixed. The final 200-watt solar panel price depends on panel type, brand, cell technology used, market demand of the module, etc. Prices are subject to change. Also, DCR modules are for residential projects that are eligible for subsidy. Their prices are different from the non-DCR modules (not eligible for a subsidy), which are used for commercial rooftop systems and industrial or utility-scale solar farms.

What Are the Benefits and Limitations of a 200-Watt Solar Panel?

200-watt solar panels are lightweight and compact. It makes them easier to carry when on the move. They are excellent options for powering electronics like phones and laptops in remote and off-grid locations, such as when camping or hiking.

However, a 200-watt solar panel is not suitable for building a solar PV system because you’ll need a lot more modules and a lot of space on your rooftop. Moreover, they will cost a lot more and have a poorer ROI in rooftop solar panel systems for homes, housing societies, and commercial complexes.

Let’s check out the benefits and disadvantages of 200-watt solar panels in detail.

Benefits of 200-Watt Solar Panels

The lightweight nature of 200-watt solar panels makes them portable. Let’s check out all the benefits in detail:

They’re lightweight and portable: 200-watt solar modules can be carried while you go hiking or camping since they weigh less.
They can be used to power smaller appliances: When connected with a charge controller, a 200-watt panel can power laptops, phones, power banks, small rechargeable lithium batteries, coffee makers, radios, mini projectors, mini fridges, and LED lights.
They work well with 12-volt systems: You can use them for RVs, CCTV cameras, garden lights, and small off-grid setups.
They’re easy to store and move: A 200-watt panel can easily fit in a car and can be tucked away when not in use.
They’re silent and clean: Solar panels use sunlight to produce electricity, not fuel. Hence, they’re eco-friendly. Plus, they do not make any noise while working.

Disadvantages of 200-Watt Solar Panels

When it gets cloudy, the power output of a 200-watt solar panel can drop by 50%. Plus, they’re not suitable options for solar energy systems.

Let’s check out all the disadvantages of 200-watt solar panels in detail:

Low power compared to higher-wattage solar panels: 200-watt solar panels give up to 200 watts of output only when there’s strong sunlight.
Their efficiency is weather-dependent: The power generation under cloud cover can drop by 50%. It means, a 200-watt solar panel might produce just 100-watt output on a cloudy day.
Not ideal for solar panel systems for homes, housing societies, and commercial buildings: You’d need many 200-watt solar panels for a kW-scale system, which uses more roof space and hardware.
Mixing can be tricky: 200-watt panels are often 12-volt. Combining them with other voltages or panel types requires additional care and equipment, which further increases the complexity and cost.

What Are the Applications/ Uses of a 200-Watt Solar Panel?

A 200-watt solar panel can be used for emergency backup and to power RVs. They can also be used to power CCTV cameras for remote monitoring and small loads in off-grid setups.

Let’s check out all major applications of a 200-watt solar panel:

Application/ Use	Details
Camping and RV power	They can charge phones/tablets, run LED lights, a small fan, and a Wi-Fi router.
Small off-grid sheds/cabins	They can support basic lighting, phone, and laptop charging.
CCTV and remote cameras	They can power a camera and 4G/Wi-Fi router at sites without grid power.
Farm use	They can energize an electric fence or run small DC pumps.
Emergency backup	They can keep essential gadgets alive during outages.

What Are the Product Specifications of a 200-Watt Solar Panel?

Here are the most important product specifications of 200-watt solar panels in India:

Product Specifications	Details
Rated maximum power	200 watts
Module efficiency	16% to 22%, depending on the type
Weight	~11 to 14 kgs
Nominal class	12 volts

Disclaimer: These specifications are typical for 200-watt silicon solar panels. Actual specifications can vary significantly by brand and model. Always use the manufacturer’s datasheet for exact values.

What is the Cost of Installing Rooftop On-Grid Solar Systems in India?

The estimated cost of installing an on-grid rooftop solar system in India with subsidy ranges between ~Rs. 90,000 in Lucknow for a 2 kW solar system and ~Rs. 5.62 lakh in Bengaluru for a 10 kW solar system.

Here’s the solar system installation cost for different capacity solar systems with and without a subsidy under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

Solar System Size	Solar Panel Price in India Without Subsidy (Starting price – Indicative for base variant)*	Solar Panel Price in India With Subsidy (Starting price – Indicative for base variant)*
2 kW solar system	~Rs. 1.8 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 2 lakh in Bengaluru	~Rs. 90k in Lucknow to ~Rs. 1.40 lakh in Bengaluru
3 kW solar system	~Rs. 2.10 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 2.35 lakh in Bengaluru	~Rs. 1.02 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 1.57 lakh in Bengaluru
4 kW solar system	~Rs. 2.55 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 2.85 lakh in Bengaluru	~Rs. 1.47 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 2.07 lakh in Bengaluru
5 kW solar system	~Rs. 3.10 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 3.70 lakh in Bengaluru	~Rs. 2.02 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 2.92 lakh in Bengaluru
10 kW solar system	~Rs. 5.80 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 6.40 lakh in Bengaluru	~Rs. 4.77 lakh in Lucknow to ~Rs. 5.62 lakh in Bengaluru

Initial Installation Cost Vs Solar Savings Over 25 Years

Installing solar is not an expense but an investment. The money you invest today is recovered within 3 to 5 years. After that, your system will provide free solar electricity for as long as it lasts. Over 25 years, avoided bills can add up to tens of lakhs of rupees, especially as tariffs typically rise ~3–6% a year in India.

Here’s a snapshot of the estimated cost of installing an on-grid rooftop solar system in Nagpur vs the savings this system will provide in 25 years of its life:

Solar System Size	Solar Panel Price in Nagpur With Subsidy (Starting Price – Indicative for Base Variant)*	Solar Savings in Nagpur in 25 Years*
2 kWp	~ Rs. 1.15 lakh	~ Rs. 11.05 lakh
3 kWp	~ Rs. 1.32 lakh	~ Rs. 16.58 lakh
4 kWp	~ Rs. 1.77 lakh	~ Rs. 22.11 lakh
5 kWp	~ Rs. 2.27 lakh	~ Rs. 34.43 lakh
10 kWp	~ Rs. 5.02 lakh	~ Rs. 68.86 lakh

*Please note: The above-mentioned solar plate price is indicative as of 15th August 2025 for the SolarSquare Blue 6ft variant. The final cost of installing an on-grid rooftop solar panel system at home depends on your DISCOM charges, product variant opted for, panel type, inverter type, mounting structure height, type of after-sales service, savings guarantee, roof height, etc. Prices are subject to change. Additionally, while calculating savings, we have considered the annual tariff escalation at 3% and the annual degradation at 1%. The actual final savings from solar panel installation depend on the types of solar panels you’ve installed and their efficiency, intensity of sunlight your rooftop receives, orientation of the panels and tilt angle, the pollution level and weather conditions in your city, the temperature, shadow on the roof, impact of dirt/dust, and how well you maintain your panels after installation.

Find out how much money going solar will save in your city using SolarSquare’s free rooftop solar calculator.

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Conclusion

A 200-watt solar panel converts sunlight into DC power that can be used to charge small gadgets like laptops, mobile phones, and tablets. Since they’re lightweight and compact, you can also carry them while hiking and camping to provide emergency power in such off-grid and remote locations.

However, if you’re choosing a solar panel for residential or commercial solar installations, 200-watt solar panels are not ideal. You need a higher-wattage panel for such purposes since they produce more power, require less space, and offer a better ROI.

For any further queries, book a free solar consultation with SolarSquare.

FAQs

Q1. What is the difference between a 100-watt and a 200-watt solar panel?

Ans. A 200 W panel makes about twice the power of a 100 W panel in the same sun. Simply put, a 100-watt solar panel can produce up to 100W power, and a 200-watt solar panel can produce up to 200W power.

Q2. Will a 200-watt solar panel run a fridge?

Ans. No. A single 200-watt solar panel cannot run a full-sized home refrigerator. However, it can run a small DC travel fridge for a few hours with a lithium battery.

Q3. What’s the output of a 200-watt solar panel on a cloudy day?

Ans. The power output of a 200-watt solar panel can drop by 50% on a cloudy day. It means, these panels may produce only 100W under a cloud cover.

Q4. How many solar panels are required to make a solar system?

Ans. Considering you use high-wattage 550-watt solar panels, you’ll need just 4 solar panels to make a 2 kW solar system. If 200-watt solar panels were used here, it would require 10 solar panels to reach the desired system capacity.

Q5. Is there a subsidy on 200-watt solar panels?

Ans. Technically, yes. However, a subsidy is not offered for solar panels. It’s offered for installing a solar system. The Indian government offers homeowners and housing societies installing on-grid rooftop solar systems a subsidy under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.