Solar Nerd articles about: Longevity

Solar panels don’t have any moving parts and they last a really long time - but they don’t last forever. There are a lot of reasons why solar panels go bad, from physical failures such as the layers in the panel separating to chemistry-related phenomenon such as potential-induced degradation. It may take decades for the drop is power to be significant, but over time all solar panels lose efficiency. (A solar panel’s 25 year power warranty reflects the manufacturer’s confidence in its long-term performance.

Installing solar panels on your house is a pretty big investment - one that you’d like to last as long as possible. So how long should you expect your home solar array to last? Conventional silicon solar panels that are designed for a rooftop or utility installation can be expected to last 25 years. Some of the top brands come with 25 year product warranties, in which case you can consider 25 years to be the minimum lifespan.