How much do solar panels degrade after 25 years?
Solar panels are designed to operate for many years, and they can continue to generate electricity for a long time if they are properly maintained. However, the performance of solar panels tends to decline over time, as the PV cells in the panels become less efficient at converting sunlight into electricity.
Most solar panels will lose around 1% of their efficiency per year, which means that after 25 years, they will be generating around 75% of the electricity that they were generating when they were new. For example, if a solar panel is rated to generate 200 watts of electricity when it is new, it will be generating around 150 watts of electricity after 25 years.
In addition to losing efficiency over time, solar panels may also be affected by other factors that can impact their performance, such as dirt, dust, and shading. These factors can further reduce the amount of electricity that the panels are able to generate, and they may need to be cleaned or maintained in order to maintain their performance.
Depending on the manufacturer, solar panels will typically degrade by around 1% per year, which means that they will be generating around 75% of their original electricity output after 25 years. However, the exact amount of degradation will depend on several factors, and some panels may continue to generate more electricity than others after 25 years.