Addressing the Solar Panel Logistics Challenge Head-On

The U.S. solar industry has been growing steadily over the last decade, with 40.5 gigawatts direct current (GWdc) of solar-driven electrical power brought online in 2024 alone. Texas and Florida took top honors as the two states with the most new capacity installed, with commercial markets driving much of that growth. Valued at $63.6 billion, the U.S. solar market employs about 280,000 people across more than 10,000 different businesses.

While durable and long-lasting, solar panels (also called “modules”) require special care and handling to prevent physical damage, protect any sensitive electrical components, and shield the equipment from environmental factors. They’re often stored in climate-controlled facilities, for example, and packed using sturdy crates and/or pallets.

Solar modules can also be unwieldy to move, store, and manipulate. Each one is roughly the size of about two standard pallets (42” wide by 96” long) and weighs about 40 to 50 pounds. This can present significant logistical challenges, particularly when transporting the modules and related components over long distances. Specialized transportation equipment like flatbed trucks with secure tie-downs, for example, must be used to ensure safe and efficient delivery to the field.   

Navigating the complexities

Storing solar modules and related products is another challenging area for companies. Because the industry is largely driven by tax incentives and credits that may be based on specific timelines, contractors, installers, utilities, and other companies will buy the modules in advance and then store them anywhere from 6 to 18 months, depending on the actual project start date.

They need ample space to store the big-and-bulky equipment, and in many cases will position those goods as close to the jobsite as possible in order to get them properly staged for construction. This creates a need for short-term storage space provided by third-party logistics (3PL) providers that understand the ins and outs of handling solar products.  

“Organizations in the solar sector are always looking for last-minute space options because they have to make quick decisions or risk missing out on tax credits and incentives,” says Robert Kriewaldt, Senior VP at Phoenix Logistics, whose parent company, Phoenix Investors has about 80 million square feet of industrial property in 27 states. Founded by developer Frank P. Crivello, Phoenix Investors offers bulk warehouse storage for solar modules and component parts and also owns multiple solar manufacturing sites.

“In most cases, the need for this space aligns with tax credit requirements for each module that the company takes ownership of,” Kriewaldt explains. “By managing the logistical aspects of that activity, we help solar contractors, installers, utilities, and others hit those financial goals and ensure that the modules are staged for easy access and installation.”

That last point is important because in most cases the solar panel manufacturer pays to ship the panels, components, or arrays (chassis for the mounting of solar panels) to their initial destination. The closer that target is to the actual installation site, the less the contractor, installer, or utility has to pay for the final mile transportation.

This makes 3PLs like Phoenix Logistics a particularly integral part of the transportation and storage process. In fact, the company recently worked with a client whose final project was located just 50 miles from the warehouse where the goods were being stored.

“This helped lower the customer’s shipping costs significantly,” says Kriewaldt, “while also saving the client time that would otherwise have been spent trying to get the products from the original drop-off location to the jobsite.”

Handle with care

Phoenix Logistics also manages intricacies like the product damage inspection process, ensures that the equipment isn’t stacked too high in the warehouse, and has the large forklifts needed to load and unload products that may span the full length of a 40-foot container. “We have several storage sites that can handle very large pieces with 36,000-pound forklifts and end-loaders,” says Kurt Jensen, Senior VP, Acquisition & Leasing.

As an added bonus, Phoenix Logistics is also very good at quickly pulling together the resources needed for efficient solar panel logistics. “We get a lot of last-minute requests from companies that need storage space within three weeks and only for a short period of time,” says Jensen. “This is just due to the nature of the industry, and we’ve become pretty adept at pulling the resources together to get large quantities of the modules stored quickly.”

Another recent project in Iowa required fast action and short lead times on Phoenix Logistics’ part. The prospective client originally pegged January 6, 2025, as the receipt date for a huge number of solar panels, but then wanted to bump that date up to mid-December—right in the middle of peak holiday season.

The project, which involved 45 truckloads of product per day over the period of a couple of weeks, didn’t materialize—but Phoenix Logistics was ready to take on the challenge if called upon to do so. “In short order we were able to say ‘yes, we can do that for you,’” Kriewaldt recalls. 

On the storage side of the equation, Jensen says Phoenix Investors has a customer in Kansas that leases warehouse space on a contract that doesn’t require new negotiations every time a need for solar panel storage arises in a different state or city. New projects can be set up and their logistics planned out within minutes versus days.

“Developing and approving leases takes time that most of our solar customers simply don’t have to spare,” Jensen says. “That added time disappears when they decide to work within our network of properties.”

Supporting ongoing solar industry growth

By supporting all aspects of the solar supply chain, Phoenix Logistics is helping companies affordably and expediently bridge the gap from the point of module assembly all the way through to final installation.

“We understand the entire solar supply chain and the process required to get these products to market,” Jensen concludes. “Our customers benefit from this knowledge and experience; we’re proud to contribute to the growth of the U.S. solar energy industry.”

To learn more, check out this related white paper. “4 Logistics Challenges for Solar Panels and How to Overcome Them”