Are Solar Panels Reliable?
Apr 11, 2023 7:01 am
Are Solar Panels Reliable?
1 min read
The industry standard for solar panels suggests that they last 25-30 years, with some analysts confident that with the rapid increase in technological advancement, some could even last up to 50 years. As a result, solar panels usually come with a 20–30-year warranty.
NREL put out research data that shows that solar panel degradation is typically 0.5% per year. This basically means that the output rate of solar panels decreases by 0.5% each year. At this rate, it will take solar panels 10 years to output 90% of the power they used to produce when new.
YouTuber, Ricky Roy posted a video on his YouTube channel Two Bit da Vinci, where he proved that the average output of his solar panels from September 2011 to September 2020 was 90.6%. Ricky has had his solar panels for 10 years and said he has spent $0 on maintenance since installing them but does clean his solar panels with a mop once or twice a year which he has found to add an average of 5% of performance.
As an alternative option, one can also take out a long-term lease for solar panels which can last anywhere between 10-20 years. This means that the customer essentially rents the solar panels and receives new panels at the end of every lease period.
As more research is conducted and more data is collected, solar panels are getting more and more efficient. As for now, there is ample data that indicates that they last long enough to make the investment more than worthwhile.
What are your experiences with solar panels? Do you think they are reliable? Share your thoughts by replying to this email!
For more information on solar panels, or any other energy related articles, view the blog posts on my website and be sure to open my weekly emails every Tuesday at 9am CAT.
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