Solar Panel Degradation Rate Comparison

Sunpower solar panels offer the industry best degradation rate at 0 32 year.

Solar panel degradation rate comparison.

On average solar panels degrade at a rate of 1 each year. Lg solar panel performance lg will guarantee some of their panels depending on the model you select to degrade no more than 10 in 25 years meaning they ll be at least 90 efficient after 25 years. These days the average efficiency of a solar panel is about 18 7 percent. Both the rec alpha series and sunpower maxeon 3 factor a maximum 2 degradation in year 1 while degrading at no more than 0 25 per annum guaranteed for 25 years.

However a study conducted by the national renewable energy laboratory nrel shows a more accurate picture of solar panel degradation. Such a guarantee provides a manufacturer backed assurance that each will still be producing within 92 of their nameplate value at year 25. For example the silfab sil 320 nl panel has a temperature coefficient of 0 36 c. Temperature coefficient of power the output of a solar panel is inversely proportional to the temperature of the panel.

Not so with sunpower panels which experience zero lid degradation due to their unique cell composition. Sunpower solar panel performance sunpower s degradation or performance warranty is 92 after 25 years. The panasonic n series of panels are a good quality solar panel with a top efficiency on their 330 watt monocrystalline system of 19 7 and a very impressive temperature coefficient of 0 29 a figure which is equal best with the market leader sunpower. The solar cells within monocrystalline panels are a single flat black color which makes them popular among homeowners.

Most solar panels experience at least 2 3 lid degradation in the first few weeks of operation. For every degree above 25 c 77 f your solar panel s electricity production will decrease by its temperature coefficient. One of the reasons people tend to choose monocrystalline solar panels is because of how they look. A meta analysis of 11 000 solar power installations found that the median degradation rate was 0 5 to 0 6 meaning for every panel that declined more slowly another declined more quickly.

The mean average degradation rate was 0 8 to 0 9. Typically degradation rates for quality panels are below 1 year. That s backed up by the solar panel manufacturer s warranty which guarantees 90 production in the first ten years and 80 by year 25 or 30.