When you are considering getting solar panels installed or if currently have a solar system on your property, one question might come to your mind, which is 'Do Solar Panels Degrade?'. The answer to that is, yes. Solar panels do degrade over time. Like every other piece of machinery, a solar panel also degrades as years go by. With this, other questions come into mind, How long will you have to replace your solar system? How can you prevent or slow down the process of degradation? Do you need to search for a better solar panel system? Why do solar panels degrade in the first place? In this guide, we will cover all these questions you have about solar panels and their degradation rate!
With that being said, let's continue with the article!
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), degradation is "the reduction in solar panel output over time."
Solar panel degradation is the phenomenon by which solar panels lose their efficiency over the years. The loss of energy production can be caused by many things, including environmental factors and exposure to non-ideal weather conditions.
The rate at which a solar panel degrades is called the degradation rate. With proper maintenance and care, solar panels can continue to produce power for years after they're installed and the panels degrade at a much slower rate!
Solar panel degradation is one of the biggest concerns for people who want to go solar, especially those who aren't convinced about solar technology yet.
So let's talk about things that cause solar panel degradation!
Why do solar panels degrade?
There are many factors that contribute to solar panel degradation rate - let's take a look at some of the main reasons why this phenomenon occurs. Understanding what causes solar panels to degrade over time is important when it comes time to choose a solar power system. The following are the main causes of solar panel degradation.
Temperature and Weather
Solar cells are subject to degradation from heat, so too much heat can increase the solar panel degradation rates and make the solar panels last for a shorter time.
This is why it's important to take into account your local weather conditions when installing a new solar energy system for your home or business - hotter weather temperatures will require more robust, efficient equipment. If you live in a place with milder temperatures, cheaper materials may be an option that saves you money on installation costs and yet a good solar panel's performance.
Lack of Maintenance
It's no mystery that solar panels cost a lot and most people assume solar panels are maintenance-free, but sadly this is not the truth!
Solar panels require cleaning and repairs or component replacements, on an average every six months. If you don't take care of your solar panels, it's going to cost more in the long term.
For example, overgrown trees can reduce exposure to sunlight hence solar panels won't produce electricity there. Less exposure to the solar cell means higher usage for your inverter which leads to a shorter lifetime & lower efficiency and power output because it has to work harder to create less amount of energy!
Partial Shading by Clouds or Dust
While most people think about total shading when thinking about preventing light from reaching solar panels, partial shading can also cause problems! This is especially true for solar panels on a tracking mount - as the sun moves across the sky, some of your panels will remain shaded for part or all of the day. Partial shading reduces electricity output which means your inverter has to work harder to produce power from what's available! In extreme cases, partial shading can actually cause overheating and damage to components hence affecting the panel's life.
Interactions with Electric Equipment
If you have appliances that use more electricity than average (such as an electric heating system, stovetop, or vacuum), you should be particularly careful where you place your solar panels. When these types of appliances are used, they can draw more current through a grid-tie system and this will increase the voltage going through the inverter, causing a higher rate of degradation. In extreme cases, this can lead to inverter failure and system shutdown!
Quality of the Solar Panels
Finally, it's important to mention that not all solar panels are created equally! In general, you get what you pay for for your solar system components. If solar panel manufacturers are selling products at an incredibly cheap price compared to competitors, chances are their products won't be of good quality. This holds true across most industries including solar equipment manufacturers - if a company can save money on production costs by using cheaper materials or cutting standard safety precautions, they will often do so in order to reduce overall cost and offer a "bargain" price tag on their goods... all at the expense of the quality and safety!
Multiple Combinations of the Above
Of course, there are plenty of other factors that can impact solar panel performance & solar panel lifespan. These are just some of the most common examples to consider when thinking about how quality is impacted over time. Luckily, modern technology has allowed us to have inverters that can better handle high voltage or partial shading for example. So while it's still important to watch out for these things during solar panel installation, they won't be as big a concern in most cases!
How long can solar panels last?
It is very difficult to quantify how long solar panels last because there are so many types of damage and most of them come from the environment.
In most cases, they just tell you how long their warranty lasts which means that everything is going fine until then. So it is a good idea to design your system in order to be able to cope without electricity during the period when modules lose efficiency at their fastest rate – around 25 years – and keep enough spare capacity installed.
What happens if you don't maintain your solar panels?
The state-of-the-art crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells have a guaranteed efficiency of up to 25 years which gives you about 80% power output after this period. However, it's very possible that modules lose some additional capacity for at least three main reasons:
- High or low temperatures above or below -50°C influence solar module lifetime
- The water inside the cell damages/hinders electrical connections
- Dirt reduces light absorption
It's also important to mention here that any batteries used in your system do require maintenance as well. It's not as simple as throwing them away though; they should be recycled to avoid filling up landfills with toxic and corrosive chemicals and elements.
How to prevent solar panel degradation?
Full Sun Exposure
A surefire way to avoid solar panel degradation is to place your solar panels in an area that will receive full sun during the course of the day! If your panels aren't receiving direct sunlight for at least half of the day (for example, 10 hours), they are likely not getting enough light & heat to produce electricity at their maximum level and cause light-induced degradation.
Solar Tracking Mounts
By tracking the movement of the sun across the sky, these solar tracking mounts allow solar panel systems to be 100% optimized for performance even if a portion of a solar panel is shaded throughout part of a day. While this isn't perfect since there is still some shading involved, it's far better than positioning stationary panels where the shade will impact just 1 or 2 sides instead of the entire system!
Under-Sizing Your System
While this may seem like a bad idea, it's actually a very effective way to address many types of problems related to the solar panel degradation rate. If your panels are undersized for your particular project (for example, watts are less than the total current draw), they will likely produce electricity at a stable rate over their lifetime and not be pushed beyond capacity! Oversized solar systems can result in poor performance and a high degradation rate- but undersized panels won't usually cause any problems during their useful life span.
Quality of Panels
To avoid potential damage due to overheating or partial shading, you should purchase high-quality solar modules for your roof that can handle higher thermal power, temperature & more severe issues without experiencing degradation. While this won't eliminate solar panel issues like these completely, it will reduce the likelihood that they will become a problem in most cases!
Do solar panels degrade when not in use?
Yes, solar panels can degrade even when they are not actively generating electricity. While this isn't usually an issue (since many homeowners don't use 100% of their power output at all times), it's still something to consider if you want to maximize the effectiveness of your system!
How can the lifespan of Solar panels be extended?
- By utilizing a Sun Tracking system, solar panels will always face the sun. This would increase solar panel efficiency by up to 30% when compared to fixed installation. Using a tracking system the degradation rates become significantly less and make your panels last more years!
- A protective covering on top of the panels that is highly durable and can endure harsh outdoor conditions for up to 25 years without affecting the electrical current produced by solar cells.
- Utilizing a Weather station connected directly with Solar Panels. This would assist in the monitoring of various factors, such as temperature changes, rainfall, and humidity. Weather stations are used to measure temperature variations because PV Cells are sensitive to them. will inform appropriate measures to be taken before cellular failure occurs.
Precautions to take while getting solar panels installed to avoid high degradation
- The Solar Panels need to be cleaned very frequently which can be done by a person rather than using automated machinery. Cleaning machines might damage the panel structure and affect electrical production adversely.
- Ensure proper ventilation for cells as overheating conditions affect the surface of cells thus degrading the performance of solar modules.
- Always use a dedicated circuit or an inverter for charging purposes else PV Cells can be affected due to parasitic effects.
- Utilizing AC modules would greatly extend the lifespan of solar panels as compared to DC Modules as there is no potential difference between cells reduces chemical reactions within cell layers.
Conclusion
Solar panel systems have a useful lifespan of about 25 years to 30 years on average when installed correctly, which is why it's important to take precautions before getting your panels installed. While Solar panel degradation doesn't usually occur during their normal lifespan, it can happen if you aren't careful or fail to take the necessary steps prior to installation! By knowing what factors contribute to solar panel degradation, you can take steps to minimize the likelihood of experiencing problems with your system!
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