Solar panels are an excellent way to generate your own renewable electricity from the sun and have become more affordable than ever before in recent years.
Solar energy has clear benefits for the environment and your home power.
But since solar panels aren’t cheap, you may want to know how reliable solar panels are before buying them. We understand you!
However, there is a lot of conflicting information about this topic online. Some sites will tell you that solar panels are not reliable or lack of performance and won’t last for 20 years as their warranty suggests. Others will tell you that solar panels are unreliable because they need direct sunlight.
After all, what’s the point of installing solar panels if it will never get sunny? What should you believe? Do solar panels have downsides? Or are they as reliable as any other device? Continue reading to get the answers to these questions!
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The importance of solar panel reliability
The reason why we should care about the reliability of solar panels is simple – you can’t harvest energy if your panels are broken! Broken solar panels won’t earn you any money. They won’t reduce your electricity bills and power your home. They won’t offer any environmental benefits either.
While most solar panels last at least 20 years, some may break after 10 years.
Even if they do last, will they generate as much energy as they should?
Therefore, solar panels need to be durable, and reliable with the best efficiency possible. They need to be able to survive the weather and daily wear and tear. They also need to be able to convert as much sunlight as possible into electricity.
When you’re spending thousands of pounds on solar panels, you want to make sure that they’re the best they can be and that they provide the energy you need.
How reliable are solar panels?
Solar panels are relatively reliable, especially compared to some other forms of renewable energy such as wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, and geothermal plants. In an unstable world, solar power remains one of the most reliable energy.
Solar panels can be broken by hailstones, broken glass, and other weather-related events like extreme heat or tornadoes. The panels can also be ruined over time by dust, grime, and other forms of human-influenced pollution.
However, these events occur very rarely and solar panels can last for decades with proper care. Many solar panels come with long-term warranties that range from 25 years to even 50 years. If you take care of your solar panels, you can expect them to last for decades and have electricity to power your home at the best price for decades!
What is the warranty on solar panels?
Every solar panel manufacturer will have a different warranty. This means that there is no standard warranty for solar panels.
However, if you look at the data, you can see that the average warranty is around 25 years. This means that most manufacturers will replace your solar panels if they break within the next 25 years. They will last 25 years under normal conditions. It’s important to clean your solar panels on a regular basis to make them last longer.
What Are the Downsides of Solar Panels?
Solar panels do have some downsides, but they are relatively rare.
If you live in a sunny location with few clouds and little air pollution, then you will maximize the benefits of solar panels. The amount of energy produced will be at the maximum under these conditions.
However, polluted areas with a lot of cloudy days won’t get as much sunlight and your solar panels may not generate as much electricity as they should.
The other downside is that you need to spend thousands of pounds on solar panels. But, on the other hand, if you install them on your roof, they will increase your home value by thousands. However, you will have to pay for them upfront. You will also have to maintain them regularly. But you will save hundreds of pounds on your electricity bills, which will cover a large part of these costs.
How to make a solar panel installation more reliable?
There are a few things that you can do to make your solar panel installation more reliable.
- Find the right position
Try to position your solar panels in a place where they will receive as much sunlight as possible to generate as much electricity as you can. Solar panels aren’t as efficient in shaded areas, even if they work well without direct sunlight or during a cloudy day.
- Clean your solar panels regularly
Make sure to clean off any dust and grime so that the panels can maximize their energy efficiency and lifespan.
- Minimize the risk of lightning strikes
Solar panels won’t be damaged if they are struck by lightning. However, they can cause damage to your home. Therefore, it’s important that you install a lightning arrestor. This will prevent any conductivity issues caused by lightning striking your solar panels.
Final thoughts: Should you buy solar panels to power your home?
Solar panels are a great investment if you live in a sunny area. Even if they are an expensive purchase, they will make you save money on energy bills (particularly interesting with the energy cost increase) and add value to your home. In this way, you are getting your money’s worth.
Also, in order to maximize efficiency and produce as much energy as possible, make sure that you maintain and clean your solar panels on a regular basis. You can also install some lightning arrestors to protect your home from any damage.
Solar panels have many benefits for the environment and for your home. When you power your home with renewable energy, you save thousands of pounds on your electricity bills, you are energy independent, and it helps reduce your carbon footprint significantly. In a few words, solar panels are a great investment, and you will not be dependent on energy price rises due to the different events happening in the world.