Source data & infographics
Mobile-home solar, by the numbers
This is the data behind our recommendations — 14 chart-ready datasets drawn from primary sources: HUD/eCFR regulation, the EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey, the U.S. Census, the IRS, NREL, SEIA/Wood Mackenzie, and manufacturer datasheets. Every chart links straight back to its original source so you can verify it yourself. Figures are date-stamped because incentives, pricing, and codes change.
Using these charts
Each graphic is paired with the underlying numbers and a link to the authority it came from. Free to cite with attribution to MobilePanels.shop. Several figures are time-sensitive (the 2026 tax-credit cliff, pricing forecasts) or carry caveats (cell vs module efficiency, manufacturer best-case specs) — read the note under each chart before reusing it.
Roof load & HUD engineering
Roof load capacity: manufactured vs site-built homes
Design roof loads in pounds per square foot (psf). Manufactured roofs are engineered to a fraction of a site-built roof.
| Item | Design value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manufactured home — net uplift roof load (Wind Zone I) | 9 psf minimum | Cannot be reduced by roof dead load |
| Manufactured home — horizontal wind load (Wind Zone I) | 15 psf minimum | |
| Manufactured home — roof load, South zone | 20 psf | For roof access (person walking), not snow |
| Manufactured home — roof load, Middle zone | 30 psf | Snow allowance |
| Manufactured home — roof load, North zone | 40 psf | Snow allowance |
| Site-built home — typical roof/snow load | 20 psf (range 20–70) | Per IRC; varies by local snow map |
Takeaway: Manufactured roofs carry as little as 9–15 psf — the core engineering reason lightweight panels matter on these homes.
Source: eCFR — 24 CFR § 3280.305 (Structural design) · Vintage: Current federal regulation
⚠ Handle with care: The South-zone 20 psf is a roof-access (person-walking) load, while Middle/North values are snow allowances. The HUD standard allocates no additional load for roof-mounted equipment.
HUD wind zones & design wind speeds (24 CFR 3280)
The three federal wind zones, their design wind speeds (fastest-mile), and the drag/uplift loads they require.
| Wind Zone | Design wind speed (fastest-mile) | Horizontal drag load | Net uplift load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone I (most of interior U.S.) | 70 mph | 15 psf min | 9 psf min |
| Zone II (coastal/hurricane-prone) | 100 mph | 39 psf | 27 psf |
| Zone III (Gulf/Atlantic coast, S. Florida, Hawaii) | 110 mph | 47 psf | 32 psf |
Takeaway: All HUD-code homes are built after June 15, 1976; the three wind zones were introduced in 1994. A home may be placed in a lower zone than built for — never higher.
Source: eCFR — 24 CFR § 3280.305 · Alabama MHC — Basic Wind Zone Map · Vintage: Current
⚠ Handle with care: 'Fastest-mile' is the regulatory wind metric, different from modern 3-second-gust speeds — state the metric on the graphic.
HUD roof (snow) load zones: North / Middle / South
Design roof load by the three federal snow-load zones (psf).
| Roof load zone | Design roof load | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| North | 40 psf | Highest snow areas (e.g., AK, ME) |
| Middle | 30 psf | Moderate snow |
| South | 20 psf | Roof access load |
Takeaway: Snow-load requirements derive as 0.6 × ground snow load (wind-exposed) or 0.8 × ground snow load (sheltered) where local records justify more.
Source: eCFR — 24 CFR § 3280.305(c)(3) · Vintage: Current
Panel weight & efficiency
Panel weight: flexible vs rigid
Panel weight in pounds — a flexible/CIGS laminate is a fraction of a full-size rigid module.
| Panel | Wattage | Weight | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|
| BougeRV Yuma CIGS thin-film flexible | 100W | 3.75 lb (compact SKU) / 4.3 lb (long SKU) | Reseller/Amazon + mfr marketing |
| Renogy 100W flexible monocrystalline | 100W | ~4 lb (US copy) / 5.3 lb (UK/CA spec) | Manufacturer (conflicting revisions) |
| Renogy RNG-100D-SS rigid monocrystalline | 100W | 14.3 lb (6.5 kg) ✅ datasheet | Manufacturer datasheet |
| Canadian Solar HiKu6 CS6R-400MS (residential rigid) | 400W | 49.4 lb (22.4 kg) ✅ datasheet | Manufacturer datasheet |
Takeaway: A flexible CIGS panel (~4 lb) is roughly one-tenth the weight of a full-size rigid residential panel (~49 lb) — the entire point-load vs distributed-load story.
Source: Renogy RNG-100D-SS datasheet · Renogy 100W flexible · BougeRV Yuma 100W CIGS · Vintage: Current manufacturer datasheets
⚠ Handle with care: BougeRV's 3.75 lb figure is the 'compact' SKU; the rectangle/long version is ~4.3 lb. Present flexible-panel weights as a range, not a single number.
Solar cell/module efficiency by panel type
Module efficiency (%) for common portable/flexible/rigid panels, with the NREL lab-record CIGS cell as a reference line.
| Panel / technology | Efficiency | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIGS flexible (BougeRV Yuma) | 16% | Module (marketed) | bougerv.com |
| Flexible monocrystalline (Renogy) | 15.7% | Module (datasheet) | Renogy UK/CA spec |
| Rigid monocrystalline 100W (Renogy RNG-100D-SS) | 18.3% | Module (datasheet ✅) | Renogy datasheet |
| Full-size residential mono PERC (Canadian Solar HiKu6) | up to 21.5% | Module (datasheet ✅) | Canadian Solar datasheet |
| N-type TOPCon (Renogy 16BB) | ~22–23% (markets '25%' = cell/conversion) | Module (est.) | renogy.com |
| NREL lab record — CIGS thin-film cell | 23.64% (First Solar, Mar 2024) | Research cell | NREL chart |
Source: NREL Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart · Renogy RNG-100D-SS (18.3% module) · Renogy N-type 16BB · Vintage: Datasheets current; NREL record Mar 2024
⚠ Handle with care: Cell efficiency ≠ module efficiency. Do NOT present Renogy's '25% conversion' or any 'cell efficiency' figure as module efficiency. Real module efficiency for these panels sits in the 15–23% band; keep the 23.64% lab record visually separate.
Energy use in mobile homes
Energy use by housing type
Energy intensity (thousand Btu per square foot) by housing type — mobile homes are the most energy-intensive per square foot of any type.
| Housing type | Units (million) | Site energy/household (MMBtu) | Energy intensity (k Btu/sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile homes | 6.83 | 61.3 | 50.5 (highest of any type) |
| Single-family detached | 77.07 | 94.6 | 41.8 |
| Single-family attached | 7.45 | 67.1 | 41.6 |
| Apartments (5+ units) | 22.84 | 33.7 | 37.2 |
| All U.S. homes | 123.53 | 76.8 | 42.2 |
Takeaway: Manufactured/mobile homes use ~20% more energy per square foot than the all-homes average (50.5 vs 42.2) despite being smaller — the single most defensible mobile-home-specific data point for why solar pays off here.
Source: EIA RECS 2020, Table CE1.1 · Vintage: 2020 survey (released Mar 2023, revised Mar 2024)
⚠ Handle with care: Figures are total site energy (all fuels), not electricity alone. U.S. average household electricity use = 10,566 kWh (2020).
Energy use by home size
Annual household site energy (MMBtu/yr) by square-footage band. Single-section mobile homes fall in the first band; multi-section in the second.
| Total square footage | Site energy/household (MMBtu/yr) |
|---|---|
| Less than 1,000 sq ft | 42.1 |
| 1,000 to 1,499 sq ft | 61.7 |
| 1,500 to 1,999 sq ft | 80.0 |
| 2,000 to 2,499 sq ft | 91.5 |
| 2,500 to 2,999 sq ft | 104.0 |
| 3,000 sq ft or more | 127.4 |
Source: EIA RECS 2020, Table CE1.1 · Vintage: 2020
⚠ Handle with care: Total site energy across all fuels, not electricity-only. Conversion: 1 kWh = 3,412 Btu (EIA).
Charge controllers & batteries
MPPT vs PWM charge-controller efficiency
Typical conversion efficiency (%) of the two charge-controller types.
| Controller | Typical efficiency | Energy harvest vs PWM |
|---|---|---|
| PWM | ~75–80% | baseline |
| MPPT | 95–98% (up to 99%) | +10–30% more power from the same array |
Source: Morningstar (manufacturer FAQ) · Solarcraft (technical comparison) · Vintage: Industry/vendor figures
⚠ Handle with care: The +10–30% gain is condition-dependent — largest in cold climates and where panel voltage far exceeds battery voltage; minimal for small (<~200W) voltage-matched systems. These are vendor figures, not a government standard.
Battery technology: AGM vs LiFePO4
Multi-metric comparison of the two common off-grid battery chemistries.
| Metric | AGM (lead-acid) | LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended depth of discharge | ~50% | 80–100% |
| Cycle life | ~300–500 cycles (to 50% DoD) | 3,000–5,000+ cycles (to 80% capacity) |
| Weight (100Ah, 12V) | ~60–70 lbs | ~25–30 lbs |
| Round-trip efficiency | lower (Peukert losses) | ~95% |
| Service life (typical use) | ~1–5 years heavy cycling | 8–15 years |
Source: Battle Born Batteries (manufacturer educational) · Vintage: Manufacturer specifications
⚠ Handle with care: Cycle-life and DoD figures are best-case manufacturer ratings; real-world results vary with temperature and charge management. LiFePO4 generally cannot be charged below 32°F (0°C) without internal heating.
Market, incentives & pricing
U.S. manufactured housing market at a glance
The market-size anchor: how many manufactured homes exist, what they cost, and how many ship each year.
| Stat | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Occupied manufactured homes (U.S.) | 7.2 million | American Housing Survey via NAHB |
| Share of total occupied housing | 5.4% (AHS); ~7% nationwide / 15% rural (HUD) | AHS / HUD Exchange |
| Americans living in manufactured housing | More than 22 million | HUD Exchange |
| New manufactured homes shipped, 2024 | 103,300 units (up from 89,169 in 2023) | Construction Coverage / Census MHS |
| Avg. sale price, new manufactured home (2024) | $123,300 (vs $367,282 median single-family) | Construction Coverage / Census, Zillow |
| Avg. cost per sq ft, new manufactured (2023) | $86.62 vs $165.94 site-built | NAHB Eye on Housing (AHS) |
| Share of stock built before 2000 | ~72.2% | AHS via Eye on Housing |
Source: HUD Exchange · NAHB Eye on Housing · Construction Coverage · U.S. Census Manufactured Housing Survey · Vintage: AHS 2023 stock; Census shipments through 2024
⚠ Handle with care: 'Occupied manufactured homes' (7.2M, AHS) differs from older cumulative 'mobile home' counts; pre-1976 mobile homes are a subset. Use the 7.2M occupied figure as the headline.
Federal solar tax-credit status for 2026
The credit cliff: the 30% residential credit expired, while only the commercial pathway survives.
| Credit | Status | Key date |
|---|---|---|
| Section 25D (30% residential, homeowner-owned) | EXPIRED | Ended Dec 31, 2025 (no phase-down) under OBBBA |
| Section 48E (commercial ITC — leased/PPA/TPO residential) | Active | Through 2027; construction by Jul 4, 2026 or in service by Dec 31, 2027 |
| Section 25C (energy-efficient home improvement) | Expired | Dec 31, 2025 |
Takeaway: In 2026, a mobile-home owner who buys a system outright gets $0 federal credit; only third-party-owned (lease/PPA) arrangements retain 30% via the 48E pathway, where the financier claims the credit.
Source: IRS — FS-2025-05 (OBBB modifications) · Congressional Research Service IN12611 · NAHB — expiring energy tax credits · Vintage: As of June 2026 (OBBBA, Public Law 119-21, signed Jul 4, 2025)
⚠ Handle with care: Time-sensitive. Unused 25D credits from pre-2026 installs can still carry forward. Always pair with 'consult a tax professional' — the IRS may issue further guidance.
Solar for All: program snapshot (context — now terminated)
Use as historical/context only — NOT a live incentive.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Total program funding | $7 billion (Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, IRA) |
| Grantees | 60 (49 state ≈ $5.5B; 6 Tribal >$500M; 5 multistate ≈ $1B) |
| Target households | Over 900,000 low-income/disadvantaged households |
| Projected impact | Over $350M/yr savings; 4+ GW solar; min. 20% bill savings/household |
| Current status | Terminated by EPA in August 2025; in active litigation |
Source: EPA — $7B Solar for All announcement (Apr 2024) · Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) · CBS News — termination · Vintage: Program announced 2024; terminated Aug 2025, in litigation
⚠ Handle with care: Do NOT present Solar for All as a currently available incentive. Frame as a $7B federal program (2024) terminated in 2025 and contested in court; outcome unresolved as of mid-2026.
Residential solar pricing trends (2024–2026)
Two reputable $/watt benchmarks plus capacity and forecast context.
| Metric | Value | Source & period |
|---|---|---|
| National residential system price | $3.36/Wdc (Q3 2025) / $3.39/Wdc (Q4 2025) | SEIA/Wood Mackenzie |
| Residential pricing trend | Down 1% YoY in Q4 2025 | SEIA/Wood Mackenzie |
| Marketplace average price | $2.58/W before incentives (Jun 2026); ~$2.21 (TX)–$3.16 (MN); 12 kW ≈ $30,505 | EnergySage Marketplace |
| 2025 residential capacity installed | 4,647 MWdc (−2% vs 2024) | SEIA/Wood Mackenzie |
| 2026 forecast | 18% drop in residential installs after 25D expiration | SEIA/Wood Mackenzie Q4 2025 |
Source: SEIA/Wood Mackenzie — 2025 Year in Review · EnergySage — solar marketplace · Vintage: 2025–mid-2026
⚠ Handle with care: SEIA's $3.36–3.39/Wdc is a modeled national installed price; EnergySage's ~$2.58/W is a marketplace quote average — not directly comparable, label each. The 18% 2026 drop is a forecast, not realized data.
Permitting
California HCD solar permitting for manufactured homes
A model for state-level permitting complexity — requirements and timeline.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Permit form | HCD MH 415 required for any solar system on a manufactured home |
| Structural engineering | Required for added roof load; analysis stamped by a licensed engineer/architect, complying with 24 CFR § 3280.305 |
| Plan review timeline | 4–6 weeks for plan-check section review |
| Over-the-counter approval | Available for residential roof-mounted utility-interactive PV (per HCD MH 120 advisory) |
| Park-owned electrical | If the park owns the electrical system, the park signs an HCD 50 permit application ($196 fee) |
Source: CA HCD — Apply for an Alteration Permit (MH 415) · CA HCD — Solar PV Advisory · HCD MH 120 — Solar PV requirements · Vintage: HCD MH 415 Rev. 08/20; current process
⚠ Handle with care: The specific '8 kW over-the-counter' threshold from the seed article could NOT be verified in current HCD primary documents — treat as unverified. The citable claims are 'HCD permit + stamped structural engineering required' and 'over-the-counter available for residential roof-mounted utility-interactive PV.'
Primary sources & further reading
- EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) 2020, Table CE1.1 — https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2020/c&e/pdf/ce1.1.pdf
- eCFR — 24 CFR § 3280.305 (HUD structural design) — https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-3280/subpart-D/section-3280.305
- NREL Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart — https://www.nrel.gov/pv/cell-efficiency.html
- IRS — FS-2025-05 (OBBB tax-credit modifications) — https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-obbb
- U.S. Census Manufactured Housing Survey — https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/mhs.html
- ACEEE — Mobilizing Energy Efficiency in the Manufactured Housing Sector (2012) — https://www.aceee.org/sites/default/files/publications/researchreports/a124.pdf
Data vintages noted per chart. EIA RECS is 2020 (the latest complete cycle, released 2023 and revised 2024); incentive and pricing figures are current as of June 2026 and will be revised as new IRS guidance and SEIA/Wood Mackenzie quarterlies are published.
Related guide
Do solar panels need direct sunlight? — the cloudy-day, heat, and shade data above, explained for mobile-home owners deciding between roof and ground mounts.