Many homeowners in the United States have become increasingly more interested in adding solar panels to their homes. This comes from the need to not rely on fossil fuels and nuclear power for energy along with federal and state grants and incentives that can be given out for making your home energy-efficient. Let’s see about the lifespan of solar panels.
What stops most of them is that they don’t know which types of solar panels are best for their home and dollar in the long run. You don’t want to get a hefty purchase only for it to break!
So how long do solar panels last? Read on to find that out and what could affect their efficiency.
Types of Solar Panels
Solar panels for homes are not all made alike. How well your solar panel works can depend on which element or parts they are made out of. The three main types of solar panels are film, monocrystalline, and polycrystalline.
Film solar panels are portable, flexible, and lightweight; but they are known to not be very efficient and have low performance. Monocrystalline panels have higher efficiency and performance, but they are more costly. Polycrystalline panels have a lower cost than monocrystalline, but they have poorer performance.
What Could Affect Solar Panels
A solar panel manufacturer needs to make sure that any type of weather or dust over time is not able to affect the equipment too much.
Some elements that could affect how well a solar panel runs over time are:
- Rain creates corrosion
- Strong wind causes vibrations that could tear different parts apart
- Heat makes the panel brittle, allowing moisture to come in
- Snow causes warping and cracking solar cells
When any of these types of weather occur, a solar panel could lose as much as a 0.5 percent efficiency loss annually. It may not be the case with all types of solar panels, as many of them are noted to last a long time even with the above occurring.
How Long Do Solar Panels Last?
There are warranties present in the market that allow coverage for weather damage that occurs. How much it covers and for how long is also determined by which manufacturer, like Blue Raven Solar, you got it from, so you need to check the fine print.
To summarize, you should perhaps wait 25 years to replace a solar panel if necessary. But there is always a chance you may be able to use the one you have for a longer period of time if it has not been thoroughly damaged by weather or other natural elements in the past.
Check on the Lifespan of Solar Panels
There are many factors you have to take into consideration when asking yourself how long do solar panels last. No matter your decision, you want to make sure that you do research on the best solar panels that are right for your home and wallet. In the end, you’ll be helping out the environment while not relying on fossil fuel energy.
We hope you enjoyed this intriguing article on solar panels. To learn about more interesting topics, check out other sections on our site.
