Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractor’s Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • Monthly Snapshots
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • 2021 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
  • Leadership
    • Vote for the 2022 Leaders!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2018 Winners

What is the life expectancy of a solar array?

By Kelsey Misbrener | January 30, 2017

Share

solar arrayAccording to SEIA, solar PV systems have life expectancies of upwards of 30 years. However, even if the panels are guaranteed by the manufacturer to last that long, what about the rest of the components that make your solar array work?

We looked at the different warranties offered by typical solar array components to help you gauge the expected lifetime of your solar installation. Warranties don’t necessarily equal life expectancy, but they are a good place to start estimating.

Panels

Solar panels typically come with 25-year performance warranties and 10- to 12-year limited warranties. Performance warranties guarantee that the power output will decline at a rate set by the manufacturer–usually about 0.7% each year. By the end of year 25, the output should be no less than about 80% of the labeled power output.

Batteries

Batteries used in solar arrays come with a wide range of warranties. Deep-cycle lead acid and  AGM batteries are on the low end of the spectrum, with some manufacturers offering a one-year limited warranty. Lithium-ion and redox-flow battery manufacturers offer longer warranties, as much as 20 years.

Inverters

Inverter warranties vary with the different types of inverters.

Central inverters typically come with five-year limited warranties. String inverters promise a longer lifespan, with warranties of about 10 years. And microinverters come with by far the longest warranties, as much as 25 years.

Mounting

Solar mounting warranties also vary widely, from five to 25 years, likely because of the range of materials used to make them and other differentiating factors (such as whether it’s tracking or roof- or ground-mounted). Because of all the variables, pinning down the lifetime in general is difficult.

O&M

Appropriate maintenance can help extend the life of your solar array. There are four types of maintenance that can be offered, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory:

Administration maintenance: Establishing budgets and securing funds for preventative maintenance, corresponding with customers, record-keeping, reporting on system performance and O&M program efficacy.

Preventative maintenance: Scheduling maintenance checks to conform to manufacturer recommendations as required by equipment warranties. Frequency of preventative maintenance is determined by equipment type, environmental conditions and warranty terms.

Corrective maintenance: Required to repair damage or replace failed components. Less urgent corrective maintenance tasks can be combined with scheduled, preventative maintenance tasks.

Condition-based maintenance: Using real-time information from data loggers to schedule preventative measures like cleaning. Anticipating failures or catching them early.

Although component warranties may be less than 30 years, if you do your homework before the installation and perform maintenance throughout its lifespan, you can ensure a long life for your solar array.

About The Author

Kelsey Misbrener

Kelsey is managing editor of Solar Power World and host of the Contractor's Corner podcast.

Comments

  1. JB says

    June 13, 2021 at 8:56 am

    What about the extra cost to have them reinstalled on your roof when you need a new roof or roof repair. I assume a lot more cost because you would need an electrician and permits as well as roofers.

    Reply
  2. Louis Peaden says

    January 23, 2021 at 11:49 am

    Some good information but you don’t go into what has to be done after 30 years. Where do the old panels go? Is the land polluted? Can it be used as farmland again or is it taken out forever? What is the cost to get it back to farmland? How much landfill space will be used up?

    Reply
  3. Rod says

    November 16, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    I was impressed with the info and was beginning to feel good about solar until I saw that the author was the senior editor of Solar Power World. To me, that is like asking a used car salesman about the quality of a car he is trying to sell.

    Reply
    • Kelly Pickerel says

      November 17, 2020 at 7:34 am

      Sir, this is a news website. Our jobs are to write about solar. Would you rather have a food and wine editor write about the life expectancy of solar?

      Reply
  4. Oluwatola Isaac says

    December 15, 2017 at 4:45 pm

    Low load on solar inverter will increase the lifespan of solar batteries

    Reply
    • Louis Peaden says

      January 23, 2021 at 11:42 am

      A long lifetime of doing nothing? Sounds like stupidity to me.

      Reply

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

Related Articles Read More >

Steel is being considered as an alternative to aluminum solar panel frames
De-risking curtailment with storage and improved performance
Frustrated by interconnection delays? Batchable computing provides a solution
Green data centers can play a pivotal role in absorbing excess energy and enabling renewable projects to get built.
Solar NEM tariffs are under threat nationwide

SPW Digital Editions

Solar Power World Digital EditionBrowse the current issue and archived issues of Solar Power World in an easy-to-use, high-quality format. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today.

Contractor's Corner Podcast

July 25, 2022
Contractor's Corner: Built Well Solar
See More >

Solar Policy Snapshot

Solar policy differs across state lines and regions. Click to see our monthly roundup of recent legislation and research throughout the country.

Read More >

Solar Power World
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar Articles
  • Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Battery Power Tips
  • Top Products
  • Leadership
  • About/Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • WTWH Media

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractor’s Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • Monthly Snapshots
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • 2021 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
  • Leadership
    • Vote for the 2022 Leaders!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2018 Winners