You may be asking yourself “Are solar panels reliable?” I’ll be quick to tell you that throughout nearly 100 residential installations that I managed and installed for a local solar company, I haven’t had a single customer call in to tell me that they experienced a leak- and we’re going back about 4 years from the day this is written. There was never an equipment failure, never a defective solar panel, a wrong wire gauge used, breaker-box incorrectly installed. Now, I take my work very, very seriously, but I have to give some credit to the equipment manufacturers.
Fact: The average warranty on a solar installation is 20 years. It’s hard to find anything in your home with a warranty that compares. Except for roof shingles. Roof shingles (most people use asphalt ones) actually have a nickname. They used to call them “25-year shingles”, because of their 25 year warranty. They still do, but recently, technology has enabled manufacturers to guarantee their products for 30 years, earning the new name “30-year shingles”
While a negligible amount of annual depreciation does occur, solar panels are as reliable as ever, most being guaranteed for 20 years. The inverters that transform the Direct Current(DC) energy into Alternating Current(AC) are often carry the same warranty. The wires used to connect them all together can last for decades because they are properly shielded and rated. And the entire installation and workmanship is often guaranteed for up to 20 years.
I myself guarantee all my jobs for 20 years, and I feel comfortable doing so because I use only the best products. Also there is a proven method to the installation that allows the installer and homeowner infinite confidence and peace-of-mind. Solar panels are reliable, and have been for many, many years.
The same technology works so well, it has changed little in the last 40 years. Advancements have been made to make the protective glass and frame stronger, the supportive rails more sturdy, and the equipment less likely to fail in extreme conditions.
There is one huge advancement that has been made recently, though, and that is live-monitoring. If you so choose, you can have each individual panel and inverter automatically report to an online troubleshooting and monitoring program. If anything should happen to any part of the system, the owner would be instantly notified and technicians dispatched.
This is why I believe in this system. This is why it all works. Homeowners, installation companies, and the investors who fund these ‘free solar’ programs can all sleep peacefully at night because solar panels are reliable. They’ve been powering your calculators for decades. Ever had an issue with one of those? How about the satellites up in space? The faith-inspiring strength and reliability of solar panels allows us to send them up into space and trust that they’ll continue to work for years to come. Solar panels are more than reliable, they’re dependable.