The Lifespan of Your Solar System: A Question You Should Be Asking Before Investing
We’ve all seen the commercials promising to save you money on your electric bill, but have you ever wondered how much energy your home uses? The average American family spends $2,000 per year on their electricity. That’s a lot of money. So to ensure that you’re not paying more than necessary for electricity, it is crucial to understand what makes up this cost and how to best use energy in your home.
The Lifespan of Your Solar System:
A Question You Should Be Asking Before Investing will go over the basics of solar power and what kind of costs are involved with installing panels. This post will help you figure out how long it would take for a return on investment in terms of saving.
How Long Do Solar Panels Last?
It estimates that the average lifespan of solar panels is 25 – 30 years. That doesn’t mean you can only expect your panels to last a quarter of a century, though. Like most other household items and electrical appliances, it estimates that they will be at their peak for up to 10 or 15 years before gradually reducing effectiveness until they stop producing energy altogether.
Two things determine solar panel life expectancy: how much direct sunlight your location gets and how much care you take throughout their lives. If you live in an area that gets plenty of sun year-round – like California, Arizona or Florida – then you should expect your solar panels to hit they’re prime earlier than someone in New England, for example. That is because they’ll produce energy at maximum levels for a longer time than those in areas with less consistent sunlight.
But if you live somewhere with lots of cloud cover throughout the year and your panels are not cleaning regularly, then their lifespan is likely to be shorter than it otherwise would have been. That can make all the difference in how long they last.
Solar panels work by converting sun rays into electricity, which stores in batteries – usually lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries – contained within the solar panel system. How long these batteries last depends on how they’re using, but recent studies show that 20-year battery life is possible under ideal conditions and regular maintenance.
What is Solar Panel Degradation?
All solar panels slowly degrade over time, which means they’re producing less electricity from the same amount of sunlight. How and why does this happen? Various external factors (like weather) wear down on the panels and harm their ability to produce electricity.
One way solar panel degradation happens is through microcracks that form in the silicon of the solar cells. These tiny cracks cause electrical connections to deteriorate, meaning fewer paths for those electrons from the sun to take. Thus less energy goes to your inverter and into your home, business, or farm. Other issues are junction box adhesion failures and discolouration.
How Can I Extend Lifespan of Your Solar System?
Solar panels standard life span last 25-30 years. However, with proper use and maintenance, they can go much further than that. Our battery technology guarantees for ten or more years – far beyond the warranty of any other lithium-ion battery on the market today. Here’s how you can take care of your solar panels so that they continue to perform at their best for a long time.
Clean and shade your solar array from debris like leaves or birds dropping things onto it—especially if you have an east-facing panel! Solar panels work better when clean (shade isn’t as big of a problem). Use a soft brush and water to remove dust or bird droppings from the solar panel gently.
What Happens to Solar Panels After 30 Years?
Solar panels are inventing for many years of service. A solar panel’s rated life is typically 30 years or more. However, factors like exposure to heat, cold and moisture can shorten its lifespan. Nevertheless, many systems installed today will likely still be producing power in their 30th year and beyond.
Degradation is a normal, unavoidable part of owning solar panels. Of course, nothing lasts forever, but the savings your solar system generates for you throughout its useful life could be saved.