Even after looking at the incredible savings and carbon footprint reductions associated with a solar panel installation, you might still find the worry of lifespan giving you pause. Is this a concern? Especially when you think about the benefits of solar?
Many homeowners find themselves with one question, “How long do solar panels last?” Something to consider is that the solar panel market has grown by almost 400% in recent years. Part of that is due to how great a long-term investment it is.
Keep reading to find out how long solar panels last and why you won’t need to worry about them for a long time after installation.
How Long Do Solar Panels Last?
We’re going to go ahead and say that you can expect a lifespan of at least 25 years from home solar panels. If you look at different residential solar panels, that is about the average warranty.
In reality, it’s a lot more than 25 years, with minimal maintenance required. Even after you have gone beyond the warranty period, you’ll still be fine for years to come.
You can get free savings estimate that will showcase how valuable these long-lived installations are.
The one thing that might start to suffer over your solar panel lifespan is their ability to turn the sun into energy. How long this process will take is another good question to ask.
Efficiency Over the Lifespan of Solar
There’s a tiering system to categorize how long a solar panel will continue to work at maximum efficiency. If you’re planning on getting residential solar panels, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s a long time.
Even if you opt for the cheapest of the cheap and end up with a tier 3 panel type, the efficiency is still decent after 25 years. Even at those lower prices, you’ll still be operating at around 80% efficiency after the warranty is over.
Efficiency scales up to 93% for the most expensive tier 1 panels. We should also look at the maintenance to see if that has any bearing on the lifespan.
Is There a Lot of Maintenance Required?
Keep in mind that most of the maintenance is related to the extra equipment. It’s not the solar panels themselves that are ever the issue. It’s the other components involved in the installation.
The inverter and the batteries are good examples of this. Since they are doing most of the work, you can expect them to need replacing once every 5-10 years.
An Investment That Will Last Years
After answering the question of “How long do solar panels last,” there’s a lot more to examine. There are many types of solar panels available to choose from, so you’ll need to research the best one for you.
Know that whatever you do decide to purchase, it’s something that will last a very long time. With such a lengthy warranty on offer, it’s almost 100% safe as an investment.
If you’d like to do a little more reading on the topic before a final decision, why not visit more of the blog? We have regular articles about this topic and much more, so keep reading!