Solar panel lifespan
Solar panels generally can run for more than 25 years, with the passage of time, solar panels will gradually degrade, late power generation only back to reduce. Even after the best power generation period, the attenuation rate of solar panels is only about 0.5%~1%. The fact that a solar panel has passed its useful life does not mean that it should be abandoned. At the end of the warranty period, the solar panel can still generate electricity well, and its efficiency is still about 87.5% of its original power.
In fact, as solar power technology continues to improve, solar panels have not only become more reliable, but their lifespan has increased dramatically. In addition to a 25-year warranty, many solar manufacturers offer performance guarantees on their products during the warranty period.
Factors affecting the lifespan of solar panels
Material quality: The core component of solar panels is the multilayer silicon wafer. First of all, solar panels need to be exposed to the outdoors for a long time, requiring the quality of silicon wafers to pass, the best quality is in line with international standards for solar energy to use materials, so as to improve the life of solar panels. And solar backsheets, tempered glass, frames, etc. to strengthen the firmness, to reduce the damage to the wafer, these are extremely important to the service life of the solar panels have an important impact.
Ambient temperature: High temperature will accelerate the aging speed of solar panels, thus shortening the service life of solar panels. On the contrary, low temperature may lead to retardation of chemical reaction within the solar panel, resulting in a decrease in solar panel power, resulting in increased deterioration of electrode materials, thus shortening the life of the solar panel.
Environmental humidity: Higher humidity causes solar panels to be easily affected by moisture, first of all, the solar panel insulation performance is reduced, and the aging of insulation is aggravated. It may also cause corrosion of some metal components of the solar panel, which will lead to unreliable work of the solar panel, or even malfunction, resulting in serious losses.
Extreme weather: Salt fog and wind and sand and other extreme weather on the solar panel is the biggest impact on the PID effect, the solar panel component surface has a lot of metal parts, such as junction box, aluminium frame, fixture, plug head, etc., the component array is mounted on a metal bracket, salt spray on these metal parts are likely to corrode, causing increased contact resistance, reduce mechanical properties and so on.
How to extend the lifespan of solar panels
Installation: A good professional solar installer will determine the best solar panel installation program based on the actual situation. They will use the appropriate knowledge and consider the many factors in the installation, will choose to install in a well-ventilated location, or use cooling equipment to reduce the temperature, in order to avoid the later solar energy system may have a variety of problems, and maximize the service life of the solar panels.
Cleaning and Maintenance: Solar panels need to be kept clean to avoid the accumulation of dust and dirt, which can affect power generation efficiency. It is recommended that the solar panels be thoroughly cleaned once a quarter, including the removal of dust and dirt, to avoid the hot spot effect as much as possible and reduce solar panel damage.
Regular Maintenance: Solar panels require regular maintenance to avoid potential failures and damages. Check whether the wires and plugs are working properly, and whether the connectors and brackets of the solar panels are damaged or loose.
Summarize
The lifespan of solar panels has an important relationship with the power generation efficiency of solar system. We need to take timely and appropriate solutions for different situations to extend the service life of solar panels and improve the efficiency of solar panels.
