Here at the Eco Renewables Group, we know that planning for the future is important. As is getting your money’s worth out of a product. After all, nobody wants to spend a large outlay for a product that will need replacing in just a few years. This is exactly why we make sure that the solar panels that we supply and install are all guaranteed for a minimum of 25 years. So just how long will solar panels last?
Warranty
The majority of solar panels available come with a manufacturers warranty that guarantees their performance for 20-25 years. This doesn’t just mean that they will work for this long, it also means that they will be performing at at least 80% efficiency over that time period. So you should have no need to replace your solar panels until after the warranty is over.
Repairs
In addition, solar panels have no moving parts. This means that they are not likely to break down or suffer wear and tear. Instead, they only need a simple clean twice a year.
Real world evidence
But while manufacturers might promise one thing, is there any truth in it? Well, the real world evidence points to solar panels actually lasting a whole lot longer than 20 years. In 2002 a solar panel was discovered from the 1980’s. After testing, it was reported that the solar panel was still performing effectively, and was only 11% less efficient than it was at the time of its installation, 20 years earlier! This gives us some indication that loss of efficiency is a slow process, and for a solar panel to stop working completely would take much longer than 20 years.
However, having said that, most of the solar panels in use today are only 10-15 years old. This is the same scenario across the globe, as the solar revolution is still fairly young. As a result, these panels are only half way through the expected life-cycle. So there is little evidence to suggest how much longer these panels will actually last.
For more information or advice, get in touch with the experts today, here at the Eco Renewables Group.
