How long does residential solar panels continue? PV usa magazine

Residential solar panels are often sold with long -term lease loans or contracts, with homeowners concluded for 20 years or more. But how long does the paintings continue, and how flexible is it?

The life of the painting depends on several factors, including the climate, the type of stereotype and the shelves used, among other things. Although there is no specific “end date” of the painting itself, the loss of production over time often imposes the retirement of the equipment.

When you determine if you want to keep your plate running from 20 to 30 years in the future, or to find an upgrade at that time, monitoring the output levels is the best way to make an enlightened decision.

deterioration

The loss of production over time, which is called deterioration, usually falls 0.5 % each year, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Manufacturers usually look at 25 to 30 years, a point where sufficient deterioration occurred as it may have come to think about replacing a board. NREL said the industry standard for manufacturing guarantees is 25 years on the solar energy unit.

Given the annual decomposition rate by 0.5 %, a 20 -year -old committee is able to produce about 90 % of its original ability.

The quality of the painting can have some effect on deterioration rates. NREL reports reports of distinguished manufacturers such as Panasonic and LG rates of about 0.3 % annually, while some brands deteriorate at 0.80 %. After 25 years, these distinct panels still produce 93 % of their original product, and the example of a higher transformation can result from 82.5 %.

(Read: “Researchers evaluate the deterioration in the photovoltaic systems that are over 15 years old.”

A large part of the deterioration is attributed to a phenomenon called potential induced disintegration (PID), a problem that some panels are exposed, but not all. PID occurs when voltage potential and the current motivation of the leakage within the stereotype between the semiconductor and other elements of the unit, such as glass, installation or frame. This causes the energy output capacity in the unit, in some cases significantly.

Some manufacturers build their paintings with PID resistance materials at glass barriers, packaging and deployment.

All paintings also suffer from something called LID inductive decomposition (LID), as the panels lose efficiency during the early hours of sun exposure. LID said from one plate to another based on the quality of crystal silicon chips, but it usually leads to one time loss, 1-3 % in efficiency.

Severity

Exposure to weather conditions is the main driver in the deterioration of the plate. The heat is a major factor in both real -time performance and deterioration over time. The surrounding heat negatively affects the performance and efficiency of electrical components, According to NREL.

By checking the manufacturer’s data paper, the plate temperature coefficient can be found, which will show the plate’s ability to perform at higher temperatures.

The laboratory explains the amount of efficiency in the actual time that each degree has lost from the degree of more than 25 ° C. For example, an adult temperature coefficient of -0.353 % means that for each degree degree above 25, 0.353 % of the total production capacity is lost.

The deterioration of the thermal exchange plate through a process called cycling. When it is warm, the materials expand, and when the temperature decreases, it shrinks. This movement slowly causes it to be formed in the plate over time, which reduces the output.

In the study of the annual unit point card, PVEL analyzed 36 operating solar projects in India, and found significant effects of heat deterioration. The average annual degradation of projects fell by 1.47 %, but the matrices in the cold mountainous areas decompose by almost half of this rate, by 0.7 %.

The appropriate installation can help in dealing with heat problems. The panels should be installed a few inches over the ceiling, so that the thermal air can flow under the equipment and cool it. Light color materials can be used to build the plate to reduce heat absorption. It should be ingredients such as playing and doing, whose performance is especially sensitive to heat, in shaded areas, I suggest CED Greentech.

The wind is another weather condition that can cause some harm to solar panels. Strong winds can cause panels bending, called a dynamic mechanical load. This also causes microcracks in the paintings, reduce output. Some shelves solutions are improved for high -wind areas, panels protection from strong height forces and reduce microcracking. Usually, the manufacturer’s data paper will provide information about the maximum wind that the painting can resist.

The same applies to the snow, which can cover the panels during heavy storms, which limits production. Snow can also cause a dynamic mechanical load, which breaks the panels. Snow usually slip from the panels, because it is a spot and warm, but in some cases the home owner may decide to cleanse the snow from the panels. This should be done carefully, because scratching the glass surface of the plate would have a negative effect on the output.

(Read: “Tips to keep the solar system on the surface in the long run”)

Deterity is an inevitable natural part of the life of the painting. Suitable installation, delicate snow cleansing, cleaning the fine plate It can help in directing, but in the end, the solar plate is a technique without mobile parts, which requires a little maintenance.

Standards

To ensure a specific plate is likely to live a long life and work as planned, it should be tested for standards for the issuance of certificates. The paintings are subject to the IEC test, which applies to both mono -panels.

Energysage said that the paintings that achieve the IEC 61215 standard are tested for electrical properties such as wet leakage currents and insulation resistance. They are under the mechanical load test for both winds and snow, climate tests that check the weaknesses of the hot points, exposure to UV rays, freezing moisture, wet heat, cold effect, and other outdoor exposure.

IEC 61215 also determines the plate performance measures in standard test conditions, including the temperature coefficient, the open circuit voltage, and the maximum energy.

It also appears commonly on the plate specifications sheet is the UL underwriting laboratory seal, which also provides standards and testing. UL runs climate and aging tests, as well as a full series of safety tests.

Failure

The solar plate failure occurs at a low rate. NREL I conducted a study Of more than 50,000 installed systems in the United States and 4,500 worldwide between 2000 and 2015. The study found an average failure of 5 panels out of 10,000 annually.

The plate’s failure improved significantly over time, as it was found that the installed system between 1980 and 2000 showed a double failure rate for the post -2000 group.

(Read: “The best brands for solar panel in performance, reliability and quality”)

It is rarely attributed to the disruption of the system to the failure of the plate. In fact, a study conducted by KWH analyzes found that 80 % of all the time of the disruption of the solar plant is the result of the failure of the playing, the device that converts the constant current current of the panel into useable AC. PV magazine The reflective performance analysis will be analyzed in the next batch of this chain.

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