How long do solar panels last?: the average lifespan of solar panels
Homeowners and businesses around the country are getting more interested in making their lifestyle more sustainable. Going solar is the best way to transition to clean, sustainable energy while also dramatically reducing your monthly utility bills — or even eliminating them entirely!
In order to get the most life from your solar panel installation, it’s important to understand the average lifespan of solar panels and determine whether a solar power system is worth the investment for your home or business.
Here we’ll discuss how you can extend the life of your solar panel system, specific maintenance required, why degradation may occur, and other factors that affect solar panel lifespan or may limit their efficiency and performance.
Crystalline silicon panels may experience a higher rate of degradation when solar panels are exposed to extreme changes in climate, experience heavy soiling, or are improperly installed. The superiority of the technology that different manufacturers use can play a role as well.
WHAT IS A SOLAR PANEL DEGRADATION RATE?
Solar panel systems will show a reduced ability to absorb sunlight and convert it into solar energy over their lifetime. However, it takes many years for this slow loss of efficiency to occur. Factors that cause this include hot weather as well as the natural reduction in chemical potency of the panels, also known as the “degradation rate.”
A solar panel with a lower degradation rate will produce more energy over its lifetime. Essentially, the lower the degradation rate, the better the solar panel. Solar panel degradation rates depend on the brand as well. As you’d expect, higher-quality panels will have a lower degradation rate than lower-quality panels.
The average solar panel loses 0.8% of its output each year according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study. However, premium manufacturers like SunPower offer panels with degradation rates as low as 0.3%, meaning the
Homeowners and businesses around the country are getting more interested in making their lifestyle more sustainable. Going solar is the best way to transition to clean, sustainable energy while also dramatically reducing your monthly utility bills — or even eliminating them entirely!
In order to get the most life from your solar panel installation, it’s important to understand the average lifespan of solar panels and determine whether a solar power system is worth the investment for your home or business.
Here we’ll discuss how you can extend the life of your solar panel system, specific maintenance required, why degradation may occur, and other factors that affect solar panel lifespan or may limit their efficiency and performance.
