How Long Should A Solar Panel Last
And with the knowledge that your roof top solar panels will last at least 25 years you can rest assured that your system will eventually pay for itself the only question is how long will it take.
How long should a solar panel last. The answer to this question depends on two factors. You will know that it is time to change parts when the lights are unable to maintain charge to illuminate the area during the night. In reality solar panels can last quite a bit longer than that. However just as the lifespan of solar panels has increased significantly in the past decade it is expected that solar batteries will follow suit as the market for energy storage solutions grows.
The warranty typically guarantees panels will work above 80 of their rated efficiency after 25 years. The cost of electricity in your area and whether or not your electric company offers net metering. When you re considering investing in a solar installation wondering how long home solar panels last is a question that inevitably pops up. 25 years or longer.
In reality you can expect your panels to last much longer just as a refrigerator lasts longer than its one year warranty. If you install a solar battery today you will likely need to replace it at least once to match the 25 to 30 year lifespan of your pv system. With that being said it is important to know that solar panels do lose their efficiency over time. This is the industry standard warranty from tier 1 manufacturers.
As a general solar industry rule of thumb solar panels last about 25 30 years. Sunlight that reaches the solar panels generates electricity that is stored into the solar light batteries and is used once it is dark outside. You can count on most photovoltaic solar panels to last 25 years before they begin to noticeably degrade. Solar inverters lifespan can vary as most string inverters life expectancy ranges from 10 to 15 years whereas some microinverters and dc optimizers are rated to last 20 to 25 years.
However this doesn t mean that they stop producing electricity after 25 years it just means that energy production has declined by what manufacturers consider to be a significant amount. The leds themselves can last ten years or more. Most solar panel companies will provide a standard 25 year warranty for the expected life expectancy of the solar panels. However if you re looking for off grid battery based pv inverters you can expect much shorter lifespans ranging from 2 10 years depending on the manufacturer.
To put your mind at ease studies have proven solar panels can last anywhere between 25 to 30 years or sometimes more. Solar panels are generally warrantied for 25 years so you can expect your system to last at least this long. However this doesn t mean the panels on your roof will stop producing electricity after a couple of decades.