What is a solar cell, and how is it different from a solar panel?
A solar cell is a single electronic device that converts sunlight directly into electricity, while a solar panel is many of those cells wired together and sealed into one unit. According to PVEducation's page on solar cell structure (accessed September 2026), that direct conversion of sunlight is what defines a cell. A loose cell arrives bare: a thin, brittle square of silicon with no frame, cover or junction box.
A PV module, the technical name for a panel, is a group of interconnected cells encapsulated into one stable unit that protects them from mechanical damage and corrosion, according to PVEducation's page on module structure (accessed September 2026). Most common modules carry 60 or 72 cells. Buying loose cells means the stringing, wiring and encapsulation are still ahead of you, which is why a cell and a panel are priced as different products.
Each silicon solar cell produces roughly 0.5 to 0.6 V under load whatever its size, and the cell's area sets its current, so a cut cell keeps the voltage and delivers a smaller share of the current. The same voltage ceiling explains why no single cell reaches 5 V; a charging panel for a 12 V battery uses 36 cells in a series string. A cell's open-circuit voltage, measured with nothing connected, reads higher than this working voltage, so string counts are planned on the loaded figure.
Readers pricing a rooftop system for a home are shopping for a different product: an installed system priced per watt that bundles panels, inverter, racking and labor, and loose-cell prices do not predict it. For that project, start with sizing a home solar system instead.
What drives the price of a solar cell?
The price of a solar cell is set by five things: the cell technology and its efficiency bin, whether the cell is full size or cut, the grade and bin spread of the lot, the pack size, and whether tabbing and protective packaging are included.
Cell technology and efficiency bin
The LinkSolar solar cells collection states that back-contact IBC cells cost more per watt and that PERC is what most production modules use. On the product pages, the 125 mm back-contact IBC cell is rated at 24.4%+ efficiency, the 166 mm IBC cell at 24%+, the N-type TOPCon cell at 25.5% and the mono PERC cells at 22%. In LinkSolar's sourcing experience, back-contact cells run several percentage points more efficient than ordinary mono cells, and that gap is the main reason panels built on them cost more.
Full cell or cut cell
Cutting raises the price of the same pack. On the 125 mm back-contact IBC page, the 10pcs pack was listed on 25 September 2026 at $46.60 uncut, $50.32 half cut and $57.68 in 1/6 cut. Cutting adds labor and edge loss, so a cut piece typically costs more per watt than the uncut cell it came from (see custom cutting for back-contact cells).
Grade and bin spread of the lot
A lot with a wide bin spread loses watts across the whole string. According to PVEducation (Mismatch for Cells Connected in Series, accessed September 2026), the current in a series string is limited to that of the poorest cell. The LinkSolar small cells collection advises keeping every cell in a string the same size, and the guide to how cells are graded and binned explains the lot labels.
Pack size
A larger pack lowers the price per cell on every family LinkSolar listed on 25 September 2026, with worked numbers in the per-watt comparison below. For quantities beyond the listed packs, the LinkSolar custom solar panels page notes that pricing improves in steps as quantity rises.
Tabbing and packaging
The 52 × 52 mm mono PERC 100-pack was listed at $51.50 on 25 September 2026, and at $55.00 with tabbing wire, so the wire adds $3.50 per 100 cells. Dog-bone interconnect for back-contact cells is sold separately, at $21.60 for a 50-pack of tabbing strips and $19.90 for 50 pieces of tabbing wire, both as listed on 25 September 2026.
Packaging and breakage add cost that the pack price does not show. Fragile cells ship in rigid packaging, so landed cost typically sits above the listed price, and builders usually order a few spare cells to cover breakage while tabbing. Small formats are tabbed by hand, and a broken small cell costs less to replace than a broken full-size one.
Why do per-cell and per-watt solar cell prices rank differently?
A solar cell's per-cell price tracks its size, while its per-watt price tracks its technology and pack size, so the two rankings flip. On the LinkSolar cell pages, as listed on 25 September 2026, the 166 mm back-contact IBC cell was the most expensive piece at $7.26 in a 10-pack, yet the 52 × 52 mm mono PERC cell cost more per watt at about $1.63/W in a 25-pack. Buying cells by the piece is like buying lumber by the board, not by the foot.
The fair comparison is price per watt: divide the pack price by the number of cells, then by the rated watts printed on the same product page. Terrestrial cells are rated at AM1.5 light, 1 kW/m² of input and a cell temperature of 25 °C, according to PVEducation (accessed September 2026). Because every rating uses those same conditions, the watts compare a small PERC cell and a large IBC cell on equal terms.
Pack size is the second lever on price per watt. As listed on 25 September 2026, the 182 × 183.75 mm N-type TOPCon cell cost $5.49 per cell in a 10-pack and $3.27 per cell in a 100-pack, about $0.64/W against $0.38/W. The 166 × 166 mm mono PERC cell went from $3.43 per cell in a 15-pack to $2.46 in a 50-pack, about $0.57/W against $0.41/W.
The same pattern holds for the other families as listed on 25 September 2026. The 125 mm back-contact IBC cell fell from about $1.23/W in a 10-pack to $1.11/W in a 20-pack, and the 166 mm back-contact IBC cell from about $1.10/W to $0.97/W. The 52 × 52 mm PERC cell dropped from about $1.63/W in a 25-pack to $0.86/W in a 100-pack, below either back-contact cell in its smallest pack.
The LinkSolar custom panel page states that pricing improves in steps, so on the stock pages the per-watt figure falls at each larger listed pack. For how those steps and the spread between bins behave in production orders, see volume tiers and bin spread in bulk orders.
How do you estimate the cell cost for your own build?
The solar cell cost of your own build is the price of the whole packs that cover your series count, plus spare cells and interconnect. Count the cells your target voltage needs and choose the cell size that gives your current before you price anything.
- Count the series cells. Each silicon cell gives about 0.5 to 0.6 V under load whatever its size, so a 12 V charging panel uses 36 cells in series to stay above the battery voltage.
- Match the cell size to your current. Cell area sets the current, and a cut cell keeps the full cell voltage while its current drops in proportion to its share of the area.
- Choose a cell family you can join. The small cells and strips for hand-soldered builds tab by hand, while TOPCon and half-cut PERC cells use thin round-wire multi-busbar contacts designed for stringing machines.
- Price whole packs. Cells are listed in packs, so compare the pack combinations that cover your count instead of multiplying a single-cell price.
- Add spare cells. Builders typically order a few cells beyond the string count to cover breakage while tabbing.
- Add interconnect and shipping. A 50-pack of back-contact tabbing strips was $21.60 as listed on 25 September 2026, and shipping for fragile cells, with its rigid packaging, is calculated at checkout on top of the pack price.
Take a 12 V charging panel built from 36 cells of 166 × 166 mm mono PERC, rated 6.04 W each. As listed on 25 September 2026, a 15-pack at $51.40 plus a 25-pack at $73.50 comes to $124.90 for 40 cells. One 50-pack at $122.80, as listed on the same date, costs less and leaves 14 spare cells after the 36 in the string.
The 36 cells add up to 36 × 6.04 W, about 217 W of cell rating at STC, before lamination and wiring losses. Per watt, the 50-pack worked out to about $0.41/W against about $0.57/W for the 15-pack, both as listed on 25 September 2026.
For a hand-soldered classroom panel, the same steps apply to the 52 × 52 mm PERC cell: a 100-pack was $51.50, or $55.00 with tabbing wire, as listed on 25 September 2026. The guide to building a panel from loose cells covers layout and lamination, and the one on testing and tabbing cells before lamination covers checking each cell before it enters the string.
Specs to compare before you order solar cells
The specs to compare before you order solar cells are size, technology, stated efficiency, full or cut format, and how the cell will be joined into a string. Rated power alone does not tell you whether a cell fits your layout or your soldering method.
An efficiency bin is the range a supplier sorts tested cells into, so cells from one bin typically run close to the same current. The table shows stated efficiency as a percentage so every row compares on one scale.
How the cell is joined matters as much as its rating. The solar cells collection notes that TOPCon and modern half-cut PERC cells use thin round-wire multi-busbar contacts made for stringing machines, while small formats are tabbed by hand. The 182 × 183.75 mm TOPCon cell is also bifacial, which means it can collect light on both faces.
The table compares the five cell families listed on LinkSolar by size, technology, stated efficiency, cut options, rated power per cell and typical use.
| Cell family | Size | Technology | Stated efficiency | Full or cut | Rated power per cell | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 mm back-contact | 125 × 125 mm | n-type IBC | 24.4%+ | Full, half, 1/3, 1/6, center strips | 3.78 W | Compact high-output panels, prototypes |
| 166 mm back-contact | 166 × 166 mm | n-type IBC | 24%+ | Full, half, 1/4, 1/8, center strips | 6.60 W | Larger custom modules, drones, labs |
| 182 mm TOPCon | 182 × 183.75 mm | N-type bifacial TOPCon | 25.5% | Full | 8.54 W | Machine-strung modules |
| 166 mm PERC | 166 × 166 mm | Mono PERC | 22% | Full | 6.04 W | Module assembly, repair |
| 52 mm PERC | 52 × 52 mm | Mono PERC | 22% | Full, with or without tab wire | 0.6 W | Classroom and first hand-soldered panels |
Figures from the live LinkSolar product pages on 25 September 2026. The last column is typical use, not a test result.
The 166 mm back-contact cell and the 166 mm PERC cell share a footprint, yet their pages list 6.60 W and 6.04 W, and that gap comes from technology rather than area. Every row sits near the same voltage, about 0.5 to 0.6 V per cell under load, so size and cut set the current you get.
Pack options and cut formats for each row are listed under every cell format in the solar cells collection.
Where can you buy solar cells in small or production quantities?
LinkSolar sells loose solar cells in listed packs on its solar cells pages and quotes production quantities, custom cut shapes, pre-tabbed strings and cells laminated into finished panels from the same stock material. Stock packs ship from inventory, while custom cutting and lamination are quoted separately. The right route depends on how many cells the build needs and the form they should arrive in.
Three buying routes cover most orders:
- Prototypes and classes. Order whole packs at the listed price on the product page, with taxes and shipping calculated at checkout.
- Volume orders and custom cuts. Send the drawing, or the target voltage and current, and LinkSolar quotes cut cells or pre-tabbed strings from stock material.
- Finished modules. See cells delivered as a finished custom panel, with panel voltages from 3 V to 48 V, or custom mini panels laminated from cut cells for small devices.
Universities can order cells on a purchase order, and the steps are set out in ordering cells on a university purchase order. For custom work, the cell type is confirmed in writing before the order is placed.
LinkSolar works as a sourcing partner with direct factory-side QA, and stock cells and custom work come through LinkSolar's partner factories. Each back-contact IBC order ships with an EL test and an IV curve, which is the test report to ask for when the cells go into a product you sell.
The 125 mm and 166 mm product pages name the source of the back-contact cells and state that LinkSolar is an independent seller and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by SunPower.
Before accepting a lot, work through the checklist for verifying a cell lot. When comparing sellers, the questions that separate a fab from a reseller show what each type of supplier can document.
FAQ: solar cell prices
How much does one solar cell cost?
One loose silicon solar cell cost $0.52 to $7.26 on LinkSolar as listed on 25 September 2026, worked out by dividing each pack price by its cell count. A 125 mm back-contact IBC cell came to $4.66 in a 10-pack, and a 52 × 52 mm mono PERC cell came to $0.52 in a 100-pack. Cells are sold in packs, so pack size moves the per-cell figure.
Can I make my own solar cells?
Making a solar cell means forming a semiconductor p-n junction on a silicon wafer, a fabrication-plant process. The practical DIY route is to buy finished cells and build the panel from them, starting with a series count and a pack-price estimate like the one in this guide.
Why do back-contact solar cells cost more per watt?
Back-contact IBC solar cells cost more per watt because they are a higher-efficiency technology with no front grid, so the whole front face collects light. The LinkSolar solar cells collection notes that PERC is what most production modules use, and as listed on 25 September 2026 a 125 mm IBC cell came to about $1.23/W in a 10-pack against about $0.57/W for a 166 mm PERC cell in a 15-pack. For how the two compare in a build, see back-contact versus standard mono for builders.
Do cut solar cells cost more?
Cut solar cells cost more on the 125 mm back-contact IBC page, where a 10pcs pack was listed at $46.60 uncut, $50.32 half cut and $57.68 1/6 cut as listed on 25 September 2026. Cutting adds labor and edge loss, so a cut piece typically costs more per watt than the uncut cell it came from. A cut piece keeps the cell voltage, and its current scales with its area.
Next step
Price solar cells by the watt for a power build and by the piece for a small fixed layout where the space sets the cell count. To request a quote, send LinkSolar the cell family, cut, quantity and target voltage and current, and the cell type is confirmed in writing before you order. Stock packs sit in the full solar cell range.
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