As someone deeply entrenched in the solar industry, I’m constantly on the lookout for research and studies that shed light on the reliability and durability of solar panels for your home. Today, I came across an extremely insightful study conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s NREL, reviewing the degradation of commercial and utility-scale PV sites from across the United States between 2008 and 2022.
As you delve into your solar journey, understanding the rate at which solar panels degrade is a critical factor as it directly impacts the performance and output of your solar array for home. In this vast study, with data amassed from almost 2,500 commercial and utility-scale PV sites featuring 25,000 inverters (that’s almost 8 GW of solar!), researchers found a moderate median loss in performance rate of 0.75% per year. This number matches similar rates reported by previous studies, reinforcing the robustness and lifelong performance of solar energy systems.
Interestingly, the research also turns the lens towards the influence of climate with solar panels. It was discovered that systems in hotter temperature zones experienced twice as much performance loss than those in cooler climates. However, it’s reassuring to know that 90% of systems analyzed witnessed less than 2% decrease in performance annually.
One of the most fascinating revelations of this study revolves around the resilience of solar panels under extreme weather conditions. Contrary to common fears, the research posits that PV systems are robust enough to endure extreme weather with minimal short-term impact. In the events of flooding, high winds, hail, wildfire, and lightning, the median outage length was 2 to 4 days, causing only a 1% median loss in annual performance. Evidently, buying solar panels for your home not only proves to be a sustainable choice but also a reliable one, even when faced with the wrath of nature.
While extreme weather does not cause substantial immediate damage, the study points towards how it can accelerate long-term degradation when powerful enough. This highlights the crucial role that solar companies play when it comes to designing and manufacturing solar panels that can withstand realistic stresses created by wind, snow, and hail. The study also speaks volumes about the need for high-quality installations that can increase overall resilience against extreme weather conditions.
At the end of the day, solar power is an investment worth making. Regardless of the minor degradations, the solar company you choose will play a pivotal role in providing you with panels that guarantee long-term, effective performance. Solar power is not just resilience against outages or an investment for your home, it’s an investment for our planet’s future. So, whether you’re contemplating solar panels for your home or pondering over solar companies to collaborate with, remember, going solar is always a step in the right direction.
Original Article: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/01/29/nrel-says-long-term-degradation-of-8-gw-of-u-s-solar-matches-expectations/
