In our post last week we looked at how to lease solar panels for your home. Before that we looked at other payment options, loans and cash and how to decide if solar is right for your home. This post, our last about solar, will take it one step further and explore what happens once you install solar panels.
The typical lifespan of solar panels is expected to be at least 25 years. They dont have moving parts so theres not a lot that can go wrong under ordinary circumstances. Most manufacturers offer a warranty for the first 20-30 years. When they do start to break down, they generally dont stop working completely, they just become less efficient so their power output diminishes. SolarCity says that depending on the panels, you can expect a drop in efficiency of about half a percent each year, so after 25 years theyd be operating around 80-90% efficiency. Often the warranties offered will cover not only replacing parts that stop working, but will guarantee that the panels will keep a certain efficiency over time. For maximum efficiency, you can and should clean your panels periodically to prevent dust and dirt from building up, much like you would clean a window. You may be able to just spray them with a hose. For more stubborn dirt, use warm water, soap and a soft cloth or sponge.
In addition to the panels, the inverter, which takes the DC power output from the panels and converts it to AC power for your home and the grid, will eventually have to be replaced. There are two major options here, with different outlooks. A central inverter, which converts the power from all the panels typically lasts 7-10 years and will, unlike the panels, just stop working. The other option, which is newer, is micro-inverters. These are installed with each panel, and typically last 25 years or so according to CleanTechnica. If your inverters do stop working, hopefully theyre under warranty. The estimate to replace inverters is approximately 10% to 20% of the initial installation cost per Sunmetrix.
There is a small possibility of damage to the panels themselves. Solar panels are designed to handle the elements- snow, rain, sleet, and even hail are factored into the design so they shouldnt damage the panels. Every manufacturer builds its panels differently though, so if you live in an area with a significant amount of bad or extreme weather, research the durability of the various panels. Most panels are made similarly to windshield glass, so if you think about how much just bounces off your windshield, thats what you can expect from your solar panels.
Perhaps the biggest physical issue facing your solar array may be squirrels! Squirrels may find the cool, shaded area under your panels to be quite attractive and make their home there. Since squirrels tend to chew things, they may chew some of your wiring, taking your system offline. Your installer should be able to give you a sense of whether this will be an issue for you. If so, they can install wire mesh fence around the edges to keep the squirrels out.
There are also a few minor issues that can arise. Blown fuses, loose wiring, breakers being accidentally turned off or moisture getting into the electrical system can all reduce or shut down production, but typically dont cost much in time or money to fix- often under an hour and less than $25 says UnderstandSolar.
Most solar companies enable you to monitor your power output in real time so you can keep track and catch any issues quickly. The more data you have and the more you understand it, the faster youll be able to detect an issue. Try to select a monitoring system that tracks and compares information over time so you dont have to record it yourself and make sure it presents in ways that make sense to you.
Hopefully this blog series has been helpful! To recap, heres what weve talked about over the past few weeks:
- Is Your Home Solar Friendly? This blog post will help you decide whether your home is a good candidate for solar panels.
- Cashing In On Sunshine! talks about the pros and cons of paying cash for your panels
- Free Solar Panels! (Almost) discusses the option of taking out a loan to pay for your panels
- Personal Power Plant: Solar Leases and PPAs talks about the practicality of leasing your panels or allowing a third party to install panels and sell you back the electricity.
Thats all we have for solar for now, but keep checking in! Next time well look at buying and selling rental properties!
If theres a topic youd like to see covered in a blog post, let us know!
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